▁grid ▁system ▁at ▁this ▁period . ▁Most ▁royal ▁stat ues , ▁such ▁as ▁this ▁one , ▁would ▁serve ▁as ▁representations ▁of ▁the ▁king ' s ▁power . ▁ ▁The ▁quality ▁of ▁Egypt ian ▁stat u ary ▁reached ▁its ▁peak ▁in ▁the ▁Middle ▁Kingdom . ▁Royal ▁stat ues ▁combined ▁both ▁eleg ance ▁and ▁strength ▁in ▁a ▁manner ▁that ▁was ▁s eld om ▁seen ▁after ▁this ▁period . ▁A ▁popular ▁form ▁of ▁stat u ary ▁during ▁this ▁time ▁was ▁that ▁of ▁the ▁s ph inx . ▁During ▁this ▁period , ▁s ph in xes ▁appeared ▁in ▁pairs , ▁and ▁were ▁rec umb ent , ▁with ▁human ▁faces , ▁and ▁a ▁l ion ' s ▁man e ▁and ▁ears . ▁An ▁example ▁would ▁be ▁the ▁di or ite ▁s ph inx ▁of ▁Sen us ret ▁III . ▁ ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁innov ations ▁in ▁sculpt ure ▁that ▁occurred ▁during ▁the ▁Middle ▁Kingdom ▁was ▁the ▁block ▁statue , ▁which ▁would ▁continue ▁to ▁be ▁popular ▁through ▁to ▁the ▁P to le ma ic ▁Kingdom ▁almost ▁ 2 , 0 0 0 ▁years ▁later . ▁Block ▁stat ues ▁consist ▁of ▁a ▁man ▁squ atting ▁with ▁his ▁kne es ▁drawn ▁up ▁to ▁his ▁ch est ▁and ▁his ▁arms ▁fol ded ▁on ▁top ▁his ▁kne es . ▁O ften , ▁these ▁men ▁are ▁we aring ▁a ▁" wide ▁clo ak " ▁that ▁reduces ▁the ▁body ▁of ▁the ▁figure ▁to ▁a ▁simple ▁block - like ▁shape . ▁The ▁surface ▁of ▁the ▁gar ment ▁or ▁" wide ▁clo ak " ▁allowed ▁space ▁for