This seated limestone family portrait depicts a husband, wife and son. It dates from the 4th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt’s Old Kingdom, c. 2620-2500 B.C. The piece stands at 78cm tall and 48cm wide. It was once painted and traces of the paint still remains, including black, red and yellow pigments. It was discovered by...
Quartzite triad statue of Rawer; standing, left leg forward, arms along the body, hands closed in fist, same garment, the central figure wearing round plait wig; the two others have long wig. Inscription on the back. Owner of G 8988. Son of Itisen and Hetepheres. Entrance architrave, lintel and facade inscribed for Rawer, identified as...
The statue of Hetepdief is one of the earliest examples of private statuary, and more importantly, it is yet the first ancient Egyptian statue shown kneeling in the attitude of prayer while maintaining its conformity with ancient Egyptian artistic conventions. On his right shoulder can be seen the Horus names of three 2nd Dynasty Kings...
Fragment of a relief depicts king Unas being suckled by unidentified goddess. These reliefs are often found in temple complexes and tombs, and they serve as visual representations of the divine nature and legitimacy of the king. The concept of a king being suckled by a goddess is often seen as a metaphorical representation of...
This statue of a man called Keki, believed to be a courtier in Ancient Egypt’s Old Kingdom, is a wonderful example of Old Kingdom craftsmanship and fashion. The pencil moustache was seemingly popular among those elite and rich enough to have statues of such quality made of themselves, as the facial hair appears quite often,...
This statue of kneeling captive can be dated to the reign of Pepi II for stylistic reasons. Beginning at least in the mid 5th Dynasty, large sculptures of bound foreign captives appeared in the pharaoh’s pyramid complex. Pepi I and Pepi II had great numbers of them. Statues of prisoners were presumably placed in areas...
Ptahshepses in this statue is portrayed as a scribe sitting on the ground with his legs crossed. He has a partly unrolled papyrus on his knees, a common “reading scribe” posture in Ancient Egypt. A heart-shaped amulet hangs around his neck with a counterpoise at the back. The head of Ptahshepses is inclined gently toward...
The nursing woman sits on the ground with one knee raised. Against the hammock of cloth formed by her skirt stretched over her knee she holds a child whose yellow skin indicates she is a girl. With one hand the woman holds the child’s head, while with the other she offers her breast to the...
This statue evokes the intimacy of Memi and his companion, Sabu, although she is set somewhat apart by her oblique gaze. Until recently, the flowering of nonroyal statuary was believed to have occurred only in the 4th and 6th Dynasties. Recent studies indicate, however, that many of these nonroyal statues, including Memi and Sabu, are...
The statue of Snofru-nefer is a prime example for demonstrating the fundamental principles of the Egyptian sculptor. He was the principal singer and the overseer of amusements at the royal court. The upright posture and the positioning of the arms at a straight angle with the shoulders demonstrate the strict adherence to straight angles. The...
