The Statue of Gudea was created after the Akkadian Empire collapsed ca. 2090 BC, and King Gudea ruled Lagash, an independent city-state. It is prefaced with 'Seated' because there are many similar statues of the king. When Gudea assumed control, he made it his mission to rebuild temples honoring the gods. He filled these temples with statues of himself. The Statue of Gudea is made of diorite, a costly material that signified importance, or at the least, wealth. The statue features the King sitting down, wearing a tunic over the left shoulder, with a very long left sleeve. The way his hands are folded suggest a calm. The writing down his tunic inscribe the temples he rebuilt. (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2017) …show more content…
It features a man and women standing, with the man's arm around the women. It was carved in limestone and then painted a tan color. The man is wearing a waist cloth and the women is wearing a full tunic stopping at her shins. The statue was built for a tomb chapel, and the Egyptians thought that the spirits of those who passed away could inhabit the statue, and eat the food that was donated to the chapel. The inscription denotes "The Royal Acquaintances of Memi and Sabu". (The Metropolitan Museum of Art,