Statue of the Deceased
Artist
Unknown
CultureEgyptian | Old Kingdom
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)
Base: 10 1/2 x 21 in. (26.7 x 53.3 cm)
Credit LineGift of Jack F. Chrysler in memory of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.
Object number93.32.2
Collections
On View
Chrysler Museum of Art, Gallery 109
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. Exhibition History"Large or Small, Bronze or Wood, Painted or Plain: Problems and Solutions in Sculpture", The Chrysler Museum, Norfolk, VA, July 9, 1981 - September 13, 1981. Published References_Large or Small, Bronze or Wood, Painted of Plain: Problems and Solutions in Sculpture_ (Norfolk, VA: The Chrysler Museum, 1981), No. 1, p. 4, b/w ill.
Unknown
Late Dynasty 5-early Dynasty 6, reigns of Unas or Pepy I, 2375-2287 B.C.E.
