Sculptures, reliefs and wall paintings were intended not only to present
the reality; they carried the power to create it, and this "magical" function
was in fact much more important. A king shown during the performance of
rituals connected with the worship of gods did not perform a singular act
but ensured its eternal recurrence [
01].
Statues and figurines representing the rulers and high officials were linked
by one idea: the belief in the possibility of 'inhabiting' the sculptures
by the spiritual entity that the dead had become. Identification of the
statue did not rely on facial features but was achieved through the names
and titles inscribed on the sculpture [
02].
