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Late Period, private sculpture

There is almost no stone sculpture from the 21st Dynasty. Sculpture of the 22nd Dynasty seems to be still very much in the tradition of the late New Kingdom (about 1550-1069 BC). The 25th and 26th Dynasty is a time of return to earlier periods for inspiration. Statues are very often modelled on prototypes of the Old and Middle Kingdom (about 2025-1700 BC). For uninscribed pieces it is sometimes hard to decide if they belong to the Old or Middle Kingdom or to the Late Period. UC 14313 is published as belonging to the Old Kingdom (about 2686-2181 BC) . The inscriptions reveal that the statue belongs to the Late Period. UC 14642 and UC 16451 are modelled on prototypes of the late Middle Kingdom. The wig and the 'realistic' face are also typical for that period (compare the examples given for that period). The date of UC 16451 is particularly problematic: it was thought to be of basalt, a favourite Late Period material in sculpture, but closer inspection reveals that it is of granodiorite, and the late Middle Kingdom parallels seem so strong that it may well be redated to that period.

(click on the images for a larger picture)

UC 14634
UC 14627
UC 14642
UC 16451
UC 30557
UC 15520
UC 14313
Page 1976: 95-96, no. 106
unpublished
Page 1976: 94, no. 105
found at Saqqara, exact date not known
from Sais (bought 1892)
from Bubastis (?)
UC 14634
UC 14627
UC 14642
UC 16451
UC 15520
UC 14313

 

Royal sculpture

There are few examples of Late Period royal sculpture in the Petrie Museum; however there are also shabtis belonging to kings.

fragments of royal statues; the dating is uncertain
Wahibre (Apries)
UC 60138, fragments of a royal statuette UC 60138, fragments of a royal statuette
UC 8960
UC 38082

compare: Late Period bronze figures

Further reading:

Note that there are few royal statues securely dated by inscriptions, and that debate continues to rage over the dating of many, even famous, works.

  • Bothmer 1969 (exhibition catalogue on Late Period sculpture, still one of the most important works on the subject)
  • Josephson 1997 (on royal sculpture from about 400 BC to 246 BC)
  • Josephson 1997a (on the sculpture of the Late Period)
  • Mysliwiec 1988 (on the royal image in relief and sculpture)

 

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