Photograph by Ed Pollard, Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II digital slr-2009.

Statue of the Deceased

Artist Unknown

DateDynasty 6, 2345-2181 B.C.E.

MediumWood

Dimensions49 1/2 x 17 1/2 x 21 in. (125.7 x 44.5 x 53.3 cm)
Base: 10 1/2 x 21 in. (26.7 x 53.3 cm)

ClassificationsEgyptian

Credit LineGift of Jack F. Chrysler in memory of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.

Object number93.32.2

Terms

Man
Funerary objects
Red
Brown
Black
White

Collections

Ancient Mediterranean Art

On View

On view

DescriptionStatue of a man in the so called "striding position", having his left foot forward. His right arm is hanging along his side, holding a roll in his hand (maybe the edge of his skirt); his left forearm is stretched forward, holding a now lost stick. He's wearing a wig of short locks, and a half-long white skirt hanging under his knees, with a large triangular front panel crossed by horizontal pleats. His bare chest and face are painted reddish-brown, while his eyes are white and black.

Label TextStatue of the Deceased Old Kingdom, Dynasty 6, 2345-2181 B.C.E. Wood Gift of Jack F. Chrysler, in memory of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. 93.32.2 The quality and scale of this statue indicate that the man portrayed was a member of the Egyptian elite. The hieroglyphs on the base of the statue, though fragmentary, confirm his lofty status, describing him as "the sole friend, king's chamberlain," and "personal [scribe] of the royal records." Titles such as "sole friend" were often bestowed by the pharaoh on worthy aristocrats. The other honorifics may give more specific information about the man's role as a royal scribe-one who wrote and read the king's documents at court. Old Kingdom wooden statues such as this were destined for the tomb, where, some scholars have argued, they served as a passive resting place for the deceased's ka. Yet others have suggested that such vital, striding figures were meant instead as active substitutes of the deceased's physical body, allowing him to continue to exercise the offices he held in life.