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The king's central role in society and his semi-divine nature required powerful imagery
capable of expressing the ideology of kingship. Pyramid complexes contained numerous
statues of the deceased king. These had a ritual as well as symbolic function, since they
were the focus of offerings and rites. The various gestures and poses of Old Kingdom kings
and queens express the stability and order they were meant to guarantee in society. Some
of these gestures and poses were imitated in the nonroyal sphere, but regalia such as the
king's headdress and beard are unmistakable attributes of kingship.
The repertoire of royal statue types includes the following poses:
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