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Limestone, New Kingdom, Dynasty 18, reign of Amunhotep II
Said to be from Thebes
37.29E, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
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photos © Joan Lansberry, May 2008
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My photo is bad, but the Museum website has the info: "The Egyptians valued learning and literacy above all other skills, including physical strength and military prowess. Egyptian men who mastered reading and writing were frequently represented as scribes, sitting cross legged with inscribed papyrus rolls in their laps. Some examples, such as this one, show the subject with his head gently inclined as if reading the papyrus. "So-called scribe statues were first produced in Dynasty 4 (circa 2625–2500 B.C.). Originally only princes were permitted to appear in this form, but as access to schooling increased over time, scribe statues became relatively common. The subject of this sculpture, a man named Amunhotep, held several priestly and administrative offices." |
