Fragment of a statue of an official, comprising the torso and legs clad in an ankle-length robe and seated on a rectangular-section seat with stepped base and short, curved backrest and rear dorsal pillar; the left hand carved with the palm resting along the thigh; the right hand similarly placed but with the hand gripping a folded piece of cloth of which the ends are draped over the lower thigh above the knee; traces of an old label to reverse.

PROVENANCE:
Private collection, Europe.
with Bonhams & Brooks, 8th November 2001, no.265.
Private collection, Europe.

Accompanied by copies of the relevant Bonhams & Brooks catalogue pages.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12584-232097.
This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

LITERATURE:
Cf. Habachi, L., Elephantine IV: The Sanctuary of Heqaib II, pls. 39-41, for a complete statue from the time of Amenemhat II- Senwosret II with similar treatment of the lower portion of the garment; Oppenheim, A., et al (eds.), Ancient Egypt Transformed: The Middle Kingdom, pp.128-130, cat. 63, for an official from the reign of Senwosret III wearing a longer cloak-like garment and seated on a similarly shaped seat.

FOOTNOTES:
The official would have been shown wearing a longer cloak-like garment rather than a waist-height kilt, as the line of the folded edge is visible above where a waistband would typically be.