Torso of Amenpayom, probably 200-100 BC (granodiorite)

This magnificent life-sized torso is inscribed for Amenpayom, the great army general of the district of Mendes in the Nile Delta. By the end of the Ptolemaic Dynasty (305-30 bc) when this statue was made, the Egyptians could draw on 3,000 years of expertise carving hard stone. Enough remains to show that Amenpayom was represented in the traditional pose for men: left leg striding forward, arms at his sides, and supported by a back pillar. The subtle, masterful treatment of the undulating musculature and meticulous, flawless polish are hallmarks of this period, when Egyptian artists reveled in the natural beauty of the human form.