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Torso of a High General

Late Period
4th century B.C.
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 128
This statue’s short kilt and striding pose are favored for the statues of high officials during the fourth century, and were certainly chosen for their evocation of the great tradition stretching back to the Old Kingdom. Although the owner’s name is broken away, the long inscription indicates the individual had a high general’s title, held offices at Busiris and performed restorations there and in Abydos for damages that resulted from “the foreigners,” a description that must refer to the Persian occupation.

Indeed, works at Abydos during dynasty 30 are documented by archaeological and inscriptional evidence. Moreover, the strongly modeled chest musculature and details of the style seem to fit well in Dynasty 30, perhaps even the reign of Nectanebo I (380–343 b.c.), suggesting that the statue's inscription may indeed be a contemporary account by a high military official.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Torso of a High General
  • Period: Late Period
  • Date: 4th century B.C.
  • Geography: From Egypt
  • Medium: Metagraywacke
  • Dimensions: H. 69.9 cm (24 1/2 in.), W. 32.8 cm (12 15/16 in.), D. 27.0 cm (10 5/8 in.)
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, Gift of Henry Walters, by exchange, Asher B. Edelman Gift, Judith and Russell Carson Gift, Ernest L. Folk III Bequest, Ludlow Bull Fund, and funds from various donors, 1996
  • Object Number: 1996.91
  • Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art

Audio

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3545. Torso of a High General

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