Brooklyn Museum: Egyptian, Classical, and Ancient Middle Eastern Art: Statue of a Family Group

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Statue of a Family Group

Family statues from the Old Kingdom often depict the adult male as the largest figure, indicating his position as head of the household. Here, the much smaller figure of the woman is shown kneeling and embracing her husband's leg in a conventional Egyptian gesture of love and support. The couple's son is depicted naked with his hair in a sidelock and a finger to his mouth—a standard way of indicating that he is a young child.

Medium: Limestone
Reportedly From: Saqqara, Egypt
Dates: ca. 2371-2298 B.C.E.
Dynasty: late V Dynasty-early VI Dynasty
Period: Old Kingdom
Dimensions: 28 15/16 x 9 1/16 x 9 13/16 in. (73.5 x 23 x 25 cm)
Collections: Egyptian, Classical, and Ancient Middle Eastern Art
Museum Location: This item is on view in Egypt Reborn: Art for Eternity, Old Kingdom to 18th Dynasty, Egyptian Galleries, 3rd Floor
Accession Number: 37.17E
Credit Line: Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
Image: Front, 37.17E_SL1.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph