9. The Block Statue
Pharaohs, dignitaries, priests, and scribes portrayed themselves in the block statue form, a sculpture type that appears in art from the Middle Kingdom and the New Kingdom. The outline of this statue suggests a block shape and portrays the person covered with a long robe, seated with thighs to the chest, knees almost level with the chin, and arms folded across the knees. Sometimes a small child or small deity is depicted within the robe of the person. The block statues usually include hieroglyphic engravings that identify the person and request provisions for the afterlife. The block statue form appears in simulacrum above Hatshepsut’s Temple in the same location as Anubis and Ammit, and when the shadows are just right the image of the block statue is seen.
