Egypt Museum

Striding figure of a man

This wooden figure of a man dates from around 2347-1793 B.C., making it a Late Old Kingdom – Middle Kingdom production. It depicts a man with one leg forth, holding a now, missing staff, and another object in his hand. He wears a short cropped wig upon his head and a pleated linen kilt, known to the Egyptians as a “shendyt”.

Striding figure of a man
Discovered at the Necropolis of Meir, Asyut
Walters Art Museum. 22.237

Pigments of red for the skin, white for the “shendyt” and black for the wig and base block below his feet still remain. The ears have been delicatly carved to give a realistic touch to the piece, and the nostrils have been drilled to appear open for breath. An inlay of small nails also gives the nipples a sense of realism too.

Such a statue would have been placed within the tomb of the deceased, known as a “Ka” figure. The Ka, was an element of the human spirit after death. Encyclopedia Britannica writes; “ka, in ancient Egyptian religion, with the ba and the akh, a principal aspect of the soul of a human being or of a god. The exact significance of the ka remains a matter of controversy, chiefly for lack of an Egyptian definition; the usual translation, “double,” is incorrect. Written by a hieroglyph of uplifted arms, it seemed originally to have designated the protecting divine spirit of a person. The ka survived the death of the body and could reside in a picture or statue of a person.“

Striding figure of a man
Dimensions: 15 7/8 in. (40.3 cm)
Walters Art Museum. 22.237

The arms and legs of this statue were created separately to the torso and head of the man and were attached together with pegs. The Walters Art Museum, where this statue now resides, writes of such a process; “The left upper arm, the left lower arm, the right arm, the legs (below kilt), and the fronts of both feet were all made separately and attached to the body. The pegs in the rectangular base go through the prongs attached to the feet and anchor the statue to it.”

Striding figure of a man
“The bottom right edge of the base appears to be missing, but it may have been intentionally carved that way (as it does appear finished). It may have been carved that way to give the pegs access (it still has three peg holes and one peg preserved), and it may have also served to attach it to another base on its right, possibly a larger base, in order to form a group statue. There are vertical cracks in the statue’s right hip and back. There are also cracks in the base, which has also been repaired (a split in the top of the base has been filled in with a plaster-like substance). There is overall loss of pigment from the surfaces of the statue and the base.”
Walters Art Museum. 22.237

Unfortunately, the exact location of this find is unknown, but it was discovered at the Necropolis of Meir, in Asyut, and so was likely found within the remnants or nearby to a tomb dating from the Old or Middle Kingdom age. The graves of the nomarchs, mayors and priests of Cusae from the ancient Egyptian Old and Middle Kingdom are found there. Therefore, this statue was probably made for someone of importance, as Meir was the burial location of such men.

Summary:
Painted wooden statue of a man
Late Old Kingdom – Middle Kingdom, c. 2347-1793 B.C.
Discovered at the Necropolis of Meir, Asyut
Walters Art Museum. 22.237

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