Ancient Sumerians dedicated statues of themselves to their gods, placing them before the divine image in the temple. The posture of the votive statues, with hands clasped against the chest, ensured that they remained in constant prayer.For the latest information about this object, figurines, visit art.thewalters.org.Dynasty: Inscriptions: Reign: Style:
This fragmentary tablet depicts a seated man, probably a ruler or high official, holding a beaker in his right hand and a bundle of plants in his left. A nude priest brings a jug, and a small goat is jumping onto the ruler's knees. Two officials in the characteristic tufted skirts approach; the first clasps his hands in a gesture of respect, and the second brings a goat as a gift or offering.For the latest information about this object, reliefs; fragments, visit art.thewalters.org.Dynasty: Inscriptions: [Label] Old label: 6944 ixgReign: Style:
The hair of this male figure is in rows of triangles. His eyebrows are in low relief. Both hands are clinched at this sides. He wears a kilt, not plaited and white. This piece is broken at the knees. The head and right hand are also broken off, but have been re-attached. The authenticity of this piece is doubtful. The head is certainly modern.For the latest information about this object, statues ; sculpture, visit art.thewalters.org.Dynasty: Inscriptions: Reign: Style:
This wall fragment is carved in very shallow relief and is sawn from a larger relief. It depicts a male figure facing right. He wears a skirt. The piece has inscriptions at the top and right, and a border at the top and right. All edges are sawn. There is a yellow stain on the figure.For the latest information about this object, reliefs; fragments; walls, visit art.thewalters.org.Dynasty: 5th DynastyInscriptions: [Inscriptions]; [Label] Old label reads: First Empire. Found at PyramidsReign: Style:
During the Old Kingdom, the tombs of courtiers and officials were usually placed near the pyramid complex of their monarch. These tombs, called "mastabas," typically contained one or more statues representing the deceased official, members of his family, and perhaps his servants. Meant as dwellings for the spirit of the individual, such sculptural representations ensured a continued existence in the afterlife.
This small non-royal head of dark, anorthosite gneiss is executed with great skill. The round face is emphasized by a round wig whose bands of curls radiate from a spot on the top of the head. The almond shaped eyes bulge slightly and are set under a natural brow line. The nose is straight with a slight bulb on the end of the nose. The philtrum is indicated above the full lips. The chin has a prominent bulge. The remains of the shoulders indicate that the neck of the statue was not long. The facial features are slightly asymmetrical, a feature prevalent in the Old Kingdom.For the latest information about this object, sculpture (visual works); statues, visit art.thewalters.org.Dynasty: early 5th DynastyInscriptions: Reign: Style:
The shaven head, a sign of ritual purity, may identify this figure as a priest. A partially preserved inscription on one shoulder states that he prays to Ninshubur, the goddess associated with the planet Mercury.For the latest information about this object, figurines; votive images, visit art.thewalters.org.Dynasty: Inscriptions: [Translation] Seven line inscription on shoulder and back: (For) Ninshubur / [...] / [...] / [...] / His statue, / for his life, / may it stand (praying to Ninshubur).Reign: Style:
This Old Kingdom relief fragment has suffered severe damage from salt since its original carving. This has caused pitting over many areas of the piece, especially on the foot of the man, the calf, and the dog. The preserved carving is in fine, raised relief, including such small details as the hair at the tip of the calf's tail and the 'elbow' on each of the dog's legs. The block was originally painted, and traces of red pigment still remains in some areas.
There are two separate scenes actually depicted, easily distinguished by the different scales of the figures. On the left is a man at small scale who bends over a calf, pushing at the rear with one hand while pulling on the rope tied around it's neck with the other. A single man doing this is uncommon, and the sharp angle at which the servant bends in order to simultaneously lead and push the calf from behind is also unusual. The man has short hair and wears a short, fitted kilt with a large tie at the waist. This type of kilt is first seen in the 4th Dynasty, but continues into the 6th Dynasty. The musculature of the man's biceps is paralleled in tombs of both the 4th and 5th Dynasty, such as the tomb of Nofer at Giza and that of Sekhem-ankh-ptah at Saqqara. Above the calf is an inscription which reads "Bringing the calf" (jn.t bhz).
Facing the man and calf is a dog, identifiable by his "long narrow muzzle, nearly straight facial profile, slender body, long neck and limbs" (Brewer, 116) as a greyhound, with a rope collar and curled tail. The dog stands at his master's feet, to whose scale he is carved. The tomb owner's staff crosses the body of the dog, as does his left foot. Above the dog is his name, Beha (bh3) possibly an abbreviation of "behkai" (oryx antelope), a dog's name known from other contexts. Beginning in the 5th Dynasty, dogs are commonly placed in hunting scenes, in the fields, or under the deceased's chair. However, a very similar scene to this one, in which the tomb owner stands with his dog at his feet, can be found at Giza in the tomb of Ha-ef-Ra-ankh from the middle or late 5th Dynasty. The type of the dog, as well as his collar are so similar that it is likely that the relief comes from this tomb or was made by the same craftsmen team in a tomb nearby.
The dual composition of the relief fragment suggests it is part of a larger wall scene in which various servants of the tomb owner's estate bring and present the products and wealth of his holdings to him. During the Old Kingdom these types of scenes were generally placed on the east and west walls of a tomb. The thick border which forms the left edge and base of the scene might imply that it was located either next to a door or as part of a long wall with multiple false doors and/or multiple scenes. The tomb from which the fragment originated must be located at Giza, and dates to the middle or late 5th Dynasty based on relief and composition.For the latest information about this object, reliefs; sculpture, visit art.thewalters.org.Dynasty: 5th DynastyInscriptions: [Transcription] Inscription above the dog: bh3; [Translation] Inscription above the dog: Beha [name of dog]; [Transcription] Inscription above the calf: jn.t bhz; [Translation] Inscription above the calf: Bring the calf.
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This wall fragment is carved in very shallow relief and depicts three female figures, dancing to the left with their hands over their heads. They wear short kilts, necklaces and collars, and anklets. There is a border at the top.For the latest information about this object, reliefs; fragments; walls, visit art.thewalters.org.Dynasty: 5th-6th DynastyInscriptions: Reign: Style:
Two partially preserved boating scenes remain on this relief block from a private tomb chapel. The lower scene shows the stern of a large rowing boat with two men each manning a large steering oar. Immediately following the first boat is the prow of a second boat. It is decorated with an animal figurehead (hedgehog). Above is another partially preserved boat showing only the heads of her crew above the railing and the feet of the pilot or look-out.For the latest information about this object, reliefs, visit art.thewalters.org.Dynasty: late 5th DynastyInscriptions: Reign: Style:
This excellently worked head once belonged to a statue of a dignitary, but is now broken off at the neck. The head displays attention to detail both in the treatment of the facial features and in the careful indication of the tight curls forming the owner's wig. Remnants of a black-painted uninscribed pillar reach the middle of the back of the head. He wears a black wig of short concentric curls that covers his ears. His flesh was originally red (the typical skin color used to represent ancient Egyptian males); however only traces of red pigment remain around the edge of the face, the corners of the eyes, the sides of the neck, and on the mouth. The eyebrows and lids are carved in low relief. In addition to the extensive loss of pigment and the break at the neck, there is also damage to the nose, chin, lips, and the cheeks of this piece.For the latest information about this object, sculpture (visual works); statues, visit art.thewalters.org.Dynasty: late 5th DynastyInscriptions: Reign: Style:
Found in a rock-cut tomb at Deshasheh, located about seventy miles to the south of modern Cairo, this pair statue of the mayor Nen-kheft-ka and his wife Nefer-shemes exemplifies in the pose and relative scale of its subjects the standard Egyptian artistic conventions for the representation of men and women. Nen-kheft-ka strides forward with his left foot and holds his arms closely at his sides, while his wife is depicted on a smaller scale and stands with her feet together. Each statue was carved separately and altered prior to burial to fit into a shared base.For the latest information about this object, statues ; sculpture, visit art.thewalters.org.Dynasty: late 5th DynastyInscriptions: [Translation] Inscribed near feet: Royal acquaintance, Nen-kheft-ka; [Translation] Inscribed near feet: Royal acquaintance, Nefer-shemesReign: Style:
This statuette depicts a man seated with his right hand clenched on his knee and his left hand open on his knee. His flesh is painted red and his skirt is left white. His hair is black and his eyes are black and white.For the latest information about this object, figurines; statuettes, visit art.thewalters.org.Dynasty: 6th DynastyInscriptions: Reign: Style: