Block Statue of Ankhwennefer. Dimensions: H. 46 × W. 19.8 × D. 35 cm, 38.8 kg (18 1/8 × 7 13/16 × 13 3/4 in., 85.6 lb.). Dynasty: Dynasty 25-26. Date: ca. 690-650 B.C..
Ankhwennefer is shown squatting on the ground. Only the head, hands and feet emerge from a cloak that he has drawn tightly around his body. Since the Middle Kingdom this statuary type, called a "block statue," served to represent non-royal persons in a general context of solar beliefs. The artist of the Ankhwennefer statue has achieved a sensitive blend of the abstract block form with organic details that are especially noticeable in the face, in the profile view of the body and in the beautifully expressive feet. The slight lift of the face is thought to be directed towards the sun.