Do the colors mean something?
Like gestures, colors, even skin colors, are also symbolic in Ancient Egyptian art. You may notice that Nykara and his son are much darker in color than his wife. This is not a representation of reality, but it follows and Ancient Egyptian convention that men are shown a more reddish color and women are more yellowish-white.
I'm wondering why the child is as tall as his parents.
Basically, it creates a symmetrical and aesthetically pleasing composition. Imagine if Nykara, the central figure, stood up. He would be much taller than the other two suggesting that he is the main subject of this sculpture. With Nykara seated and his wife and son the same size, all of their heads are at the same level. His wife and son are equal "supporting characters" in this sculpture. The son's nudity and pose identify him as a child instead of him being shown smaller.
The statue would have been placed in Nykara's tomb. Tomb statues for individuals could include their spouse and children, which was another way in which a person's identity was shown.
Why is the mom the same size as the child?
For this work it is about hierarchical scale (the most important person in the piece being the largest). If you really think about the proportions of this sculpture it doesn't make sense from a naturalistic point of view, but it is aesthetically pleasing.
Nykara is seated, indicating that he is the most important figure in this composition, the head of the household. He also about twice the size of his wife so that, while she is standing, their heads are at the same level. Similarly, their son is both shown as very young and as tall as his mother, again aligning his head with that of his father.
Cool. Thanks!
Is this the oldest known family portrait? I heard the finger at the mouth a common indicator of early childhood.
Not oldest known, maybe, but among the oldest in the ancient Egyptian tradition of grouped family sculptures which you will continue to see throughout ancient Egyptian history.
As you mentioned the finger a the mouth is an early indicator of childhood. Given the desire to create a balanced composition, certain visual markers, the finger and his nudity, were helpful in distinguishing child from adult when they are portrayed at the same scale.
Do you know what material and tools was used to make this piece?
This sculpture is made of limestone, a light colored, relatively soft stone, that had been painted.
Rough shapes would have be carved out with bronze chisels and details were refined using sand as an abrasive, like we use sandpaper today.
How come many statues have one hand in a fist and the other flat?
The flat hand is easy to explain, ancient Egyptians like depicting hands in this way because it gives you a very complete picture of the hand, you can see all of the fingers.
As far as the fist: We believe that it is meant to look like he is holding something, but we don't know what it is. The ancient Egyptians did not describe this pose in any writing that has survived.
Some theories are that he is meant to look like he is holding a staff or scepter which would have been too delicate to include, it may be an amulet, a rolled-up prayer, or even some type of seal.
Is this an example of a different hairstyle?
Yes! The hairstyle that Nykara wears was popular during the Old Kingdom period when this statue was made. The partially shaved head with a sidelock like Nykara's son wears is a typical indicator of childhood.
In the same gallery, you can see a bundle of braided hair extensions that were meant to be woven into a hairstyle and reliefs depicting a queen getting her hair dressed.
I have to look for that!
Who commissioned this statue? Was it Nykara himself before he died?
It was likely commissioned by the Nykara himself before his death but it was also quite common for loved ones to commission works for the tomb of their deceased family members. We can't always be sure unless an inscription specifies.
Is Nykara holding a writing implement to indicate his title? Or are his hand positions meant to mimic those of the king?
That's a great question. Many ancient Egyptian statues show individuals making this closed fist gesture and its significance is a bit of a mystery.
One theory is that it's a fist closed around a piece of linen, symbolic of tomb offerings that the deceased would accept.
Another theory is that its a kind of visual shorthand for a staff of some kind.
Oh, those are interesting theories.
We are curious about the hairstyles of these three figures. Why are they so different? Are they gendered/age specific?
Age and gender definitely factor into the hairstyles selected for this family statue, as well as trends of the time period. Nykara, the seated man at the center, and his wife, the standing woman to the right, both wear styles appropriate for their social status in the Old Kingdom period. Nykara was a high ranking government official.
For their son, his nudity, his finger to his mouth, as well as his hairstyle, known as a sidelock, are all indicators of his childhood.
What is the significance of how they’re touching each other?
It’s a way of showing their love, closeness, and familial relationship. You may have noticed that ancient Egyptian art is often very rigid and formulaic. Expressions of love come in the form of touch and a suggestion of an embrace.
Wow so interesting, thank you!
