What does "provenance not known" mean? It's on the label for this statue.
Provenance means the history of how this object came from its original location to its current location. Very often, museums have a record of original location found, and what the history of ownership is for each object, but sometimes this information is missing from the record. That's a great observation and a great question!
Oh, I see. Do we know whether this was originally freestanding or carved into a rock wall? I was also wondering about that
Also, whether it originally had a head?
It was probably part of a larger group statue which was freestanding, but placed next to a wall in a tomb. And it would definitely originally have had a head, headless statues were not a deliberate style in Ancient Egyptian statues. Which is interesting though considering modern sculpture. Rodin made bodies deliberately missing certain body parts, sometimes limbs, sometimes head, to concentrate on the shape and figure of a specific element of the human body. You'll notice some of his casts on your way out of the museum in the lobby!
I'll look for those! Thanks.
Is this from Egypt?
Yes! This Statue of Ity-sen likely comes from an ancient Egyptian tomb not far from the Great Pyramids. He is shown as a powerful man, striding forward, with broad shoulders and his arms to his sides. On the statue's legs, you can see some remnants of red pigment. Traditionally, men's skin was painted red in statues, which linked them to the sun god.
While the head is currently missing, it would have originally had one. A lot of Egyptian sculpture, especially that you'll see in the Museum today, has a funerary context and would have appeared in tombs. Intact statues could provide a home for the spirit of a deceased and allow them to function in the world of the living.
Thanks Alison. How many of these statues have been preserved in the world?
Of course! Quite a lot! And, due to their location in tombs, stone manufacture, and Egypt's stable climate, may have been preserved into the modern era. Wealthy individuals would have some sort of statue in their tombs, be it large or small, while royal individuals would have produced many for their complexes. The ancient Egyptians' desire to live forever inspired many individuals to commission statues in durable materials.
I noticed that many statues have their left hand open flat and their right hand as a fist. Why?
Many statues have one or both hands clasped in a fist, but scholars are not sure what they are holding. One theory is that it represents a roll of papyrus with a prayer written on it. Another is that it is a symbolic representation of a staff because that would have been difficult to include in a stone sculpture.
Can you give me a bit more information on the "Statue of Ity-sen?"
This statue of Ity-sen is part of a family group statue that would have depicted 5 individuals. The statue was commissioned for the tomb of a high ranking official named Ra-wer. The full group would have included Ra-wer, his father, Ity-sen, his mother, and two of his children.
Was there a preference for having the statues sit down in the early New Kingdom? Because the statue of Ity-sen, which is from the Old Kingdom, was carved with the figure striding forward. Like was there a trend?
Great observation! You'll see trends in the way that faces and bodies and rendered and the types of wigs that people wear, but whether a statue is sitting or standing has more to do with its purpose. You'll see both poses throughout Egyptian history.
Tell me more.
It has been convincingly suggested that this statue was once part of a family group statue including five individuals. Ity-sen was the father of Ra-wer whose tomb the group statue came from. Ity-sen is described as "One who is concerned with the King's Affairs" suggesting that he was somehow part of the greater royal court or even a blood relation to the kings of the 5th Dynasty.
The striding stance conveys dynamic movement while remaining within the rigid constraints of Ancient Egyptian art.
The reasoning for the left stepping forward while the right foot remains back is influenced by writing. Egyptian hieroglyphs are always read into the faces of the people and the most common text direction was from right to left. A person standing in profile facing toward the right's left foot would be on the far side of their body and it is always the far foot that is shown moving forward.
This says it is limestone but it looks like it leached salt. Can you please clarify?
The statue is indeed limestone, and the encrustations you see on the surface are likely a result of a chemical reaction with the calcium in the limestone rather than salts. These calcifications can be impossible to remove.
Ahh. Cool
