Statue of Prince Tjau Seated on the Ground

This distinctive statue depicts Prince Tjau seated in an asymmetrical pose different from the usual cross-legged pose of a scribe at work. His right leg is pulled up in front of him and his left folded beneath each hand is placed on a knee, indicating that he is at rest. He is dressed in a plain kilt and wears a mid-length, flaring wig that leaves his large ears exposed.

His extremely large, protruding eyes and thick, rectangular mouth and the very pronounced folds on either side of his nose combine to produce a countenance that is typical of the 6th Dynasty style.

The eyebrows in sharp relief and the details of the fingers and toes are rendered with a stiffness and an austerity that are accentuated by the black stone—an unusual choice for a nonroyal statue.

Also unusual is the placement of the short incised inscription— “Prince Tjau”—so that it curves around the left knee instead of running horizontally across the pedestal.

Old Kingdom, 6th Dynasty, reign of Merenre I or later, ca. 2345-2181 BC.
Graywacke, height: 34.5 cm. From Saqqara necropolis.
Now in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo. CG 120