Statue in Niche
ca 2625–2350 B.C.E.
1 of 4
Object Label
In the tomb, a statue of the deceased served as the focal point. When the ka-soul occupied the statue, priests made food and drink offerings to the deceased. These statues take many forms, but the standing statue like this one, stepping forward to meet the priests, was one of the most popular. This statue illustrates the belief that the deceased’s spirit could pass through a stone panel in the tomb, carved to resemble a door, to receive offerings.
Caption
Statue in Niche, ca 2625–2350 B.C.E.. Limestone, 45 1/4 x 22 1/8 x 8 in. (114.9 x 56.2 x 20.3 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 37.24E. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)
Gallery
Not on view
Gallery
Not on view
Title
Statue in Niche
Date
ca 2625–2350 B.C.E.
Dynasty
Dynasty 4 to Dynasty 5
Period
Old Kingdom
Geography
Reportedly from: Saqqara, Egypt
Medium
Limestone
Classification
Dimensions
45 1/4 x 22 1/8 x 8 in. (114.9 x 56.2 x 20.3 cm)
Credit Line
Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
Accession Number
37.24E
Frequent Art Questions
Tell me more.
This type of statue was common in tombs of the Old Kingdom period, but fell out of fashion after that.During the Old Kingdom period, we see tombs containing more and more statues of the deceased, more places for the soul to inhabit to accept offerings. This led to a variety of new sculpture styles, but not all of them lasted.
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