Middle Kingdom Woman, Striding into the Afterlife
Wood, painted | ca. 1950–1900 BCE
From Meir and West Thebes
Now at the Neues Museum, Germany
This gorgeous wooden statue was made over 3,900 years ago—not as a decoration, but as a backup body for someone’s soul in the afterlife. She’s dressed in a painted sheath dress, tight to the body with narrow shoulder straps, and there’s a faint vertical pattern down the front that might represent embroidery or floral decoration.
She’s got that classic tripartite wig, a broad collar painted to look like beads, and she’s stepping forward with her left leg—a pose that symbolized movement and vitality. This was how you showed readiness for eternity.
I really love the dress on this statue—it’s such a good example of how ancient Egyptian clothing wasn’t always plain white linen like we usually imagine. The vertical painted pattern suggests colored textiles were in use during the Middle Kingdom—not super common, but definitely not unheard of. We know from a few surviving fragments and tomb art that dyed or embroidered fabrics existed, especially for the elite. This statue gives us a glimpse of that little bit of extra flair: maybe a decorative panel, maybe a symbolic motif, but either way, it shows that color and pattern were part of how some women expressed status and style, even in the afterlife.
These kinds of statues were really popular in the Middle Kingdom, especially for elite women. They weren’t just meant to look pretty—they were part of how the dead were protected and cared for after burial. This one came from Meir or West Thebes, both big burial centers for officials and nobility.
Even though she’s small and made of wood, there’s so much personality in the way she stands—like she’s confidently stepping into forever.
