Statue (Ankh)

The granite statue of the seated judge Ankh is one of the oldest statues of a high-ranking official shown seated. There is a second, similar statue in the collection of the National Museum of Antiquities, also depicting a figure named Ankh. It is remarkable that in this period statues were made in the hardest possible types of stone to carve – granite and diorite. The figure depicted sits on a low, block-shaped seat, carved to imitate a chair made of cane and wood. The leopardskin he wears was the exclusive prerogative of priests and high-ranking officials. The clasps used to hold it in place on his shoulders are inscribed with the name and titles of the person represented.