Statuette of a striding man

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

William C. Hayes has rightly called this the "finest of the Museum’s standing figures in stone." The impression of utter perfection conveyed by the small image is based on its even proportions and the balance between the forward movement of the left leg and the slight upward lift of the head. With these formal qualities, an attitude of equilibrium is expressed, which ancient Egyptians considered ideal human behavior. "Patience is a man’s monument, quietness is excellent, calmness is good." These and many similar admonitions were taught to the aspiring member of ancient Egypt’s elite.

Egyptian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met collection of ancient Egyptian art consists of approximately 30,000 objects of artistic, historical, and cultural importance, dating from about 300,000 BCE to the 4th century CE. A signifcant percentage of the collection is derived from the Museum's three decades of archaeological work in Egypt, initiated in 1906 in response to increasing interest in the culture of ancient Egypt.

Metropolitan Museum of Art