Guardian Figure
Unknown Artist
ca. 1919–1885 B.C.
Medium
Cedar wood, plaster, paint
Dimensions
H. 57.6 cm (22 11/16 in.); W. 11 cm (4 5/16 in.); D. 26 cm (10 1/4 in.)
Classification
Statue, guardian figure
Period
Middle Kingdom
Department
Egyptian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund and Edward S. Harkness Gift, 1914
Accession Number
14.3.17
Tags
Art Historical Context
This Guardian Figure, crafted around 1919–1885 B.C. during Egypt’s Middle Kingdom, Dynasty 12, stands as testament to the era’s renewed stability and artistic refinement. Likely created to protect a tomb or shrine, wooden sentinels embodied the ancient Egyptian belief in safeguarding the deceased in the afterlife. Its modest height of just under 23 inches suggests it may have formed part of a larger ensemble of models or served as a personal votive piece for an elite patron. The choice of cedar wood, imported from the Levant, combined with plaster paint highlights both resourcefulness and pre...