Archaeological Museum of Bologna

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Collections / Itineraries / Egyptian Collection: Old Kingdom

Statue of anonymous figure

This statue is stylistically dated to the IV dynasty (2640-2520 BC), the period of the builders of the great pyramids, and was carved in the workshops of the capital, Memphis, to be placed in a private burial of the Giza necropolis.

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The sculpture shows the deceased seated on a cubical chair; his body has been carved in hefty volumes, and he is wearing a short skirt modelled with only the slightest detailing. The wig, parted in the middle, and the face are instead quite detailed, as they convey the idealized portrait of the deceased, whose name and position are unknown, as there are no inscriptions. During the Old Kingdom the sovereign granted only a privileged few the right to be buried at the royal necropolis, which guaranteed them the prospect of eternal life. Grave goods were thought to allow the dead to survive in the afterlife. In particular, the statue allows the Ka, one of the spiritual entities constituting the individual, to receive offerings of food, drink, flowers and many other items needed by the deceased.

Provenance: Giza (?). Palagi Collection
Datation: 4th Dynasty (2640–2520 BC)
Material: microdiorite
Dimensions: height cm 35,5
Inventory #: EG 1826

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