What is the significance of the material in which the different Egyptian statues are made (i.e. Granite vs marble vs other etc)?
Good question! With stone, it was mainly about the value and durability and what level of quality a person could afford. Interestingly, the Metjetji sculptures you are looking at were highly valuable because they were made of wood: wood was VERY rare in Egypt and had to be imported. Wood is also rare archaeologically because it does not survive as well as stone, so we do not have as many wooden examples in museums.
Why do these statues of the same person look so different?
The statues all show the same man, but at different points in his life--from young to old. In the statue with the long kilt you see Metjetji later in later life, with the long kilt of a senior official and, if viewed from the side, a rather flabby torso!
Even though he looks different in each statue and his clothing changes, you can see that his stance (with the left foot forward) is the same in each. You will see this pose throughout the Egyptian galleries.
Why do these three statues of the same person look so different?
These sculptures were all made to show different times in Metjetji's life. The one with the long kilt, pleated shows him at an older age. He wears the kilt of a senior official and some rolls of belly fat.
He was a scribe; a very, very important job in Ancient Egypt. Literacy was low, and so reading and writing hieroglyphics was an incredible advantage and skill. His official title, translated from hieroglyphs was "Overseer of the Bureau of Tenantry of the Court."
Traditionally in ancient Egyptian statuary, men are depicted with their left foot advanced and clenched fists at their side. The pose symbolizes movement or action and the reason for it being the left foot draws from hieroglyphs. The preferred direction of ancient Egyptian writing read from right to left. In this case the hieroglyphs usually faced right, i.e. showing people with their left foot advanced. 3-dimensional statues often imitate hieroglyphs.
Women, on the other hand, are usually seen with their feet together and their hands either at their sides or holding various objects. I encourage you to look for these stylistic distinctions as you explore the galleries!
Why do these three statues of the same person look so different?
Egyptian tomb statues do not always reproduce the tomb owner's actual appearance and are often influenced by stylistic trends of the dynasty. The inscribed names and titles served to identify the individual. Thus, statues of the same person may look quite different, as can be seen in these three wooden images of Metjetji. These illustrate the convention of depicting the tomb owner at different stages of life, from an idealized youth to an older man.
Are these sculptures of the same person?
I see you're looking at Metjetji, all of these sculptures were made to represent different points in his life, the statue with the long white kilt shows the fashion of a senior official, and his torso shows the signs of aging as well.
Ahhhhh ok. Thank you
Egyptian art is extremely stylized, and the way that people were depicted wasn't to show what they actually looked like, but to give a sense of their position and role in society. As you can see, all three figures have the same exact pose, standing men were often shown this way throughout Ancient Egypt, with their left foot forward. This changed drastically in the later dynasties when Egypt was under Roman rule. Then, portraits attempted extremely accurate depictions of their subjects, in the middle gallery next to the one you're in (with the ceiling mural) you'll see several of these really striking Roman portraits.
Were all three statues found together?
It's unclear, but that is an excellent question because they all date to the time frame of his life. The different styles and the way in which they all show different points in his life suggest that they were made by different artists. We don't have any documentation about where or how they were excavated, but one can assume they all came from Metjetji's tomb.
So it's the hieroglyphic writing on the bottom that identifies all three as the same official?
Yes, exactly! The inscriptions name him.
That's a rare and beautiful sculpture. Did you notice that there are three sculptures of the same person?
Yes! I did a paper on him last year!
Very cool! Then -- as you might already know -- most Egyptian tomb statues were not primarily concerned with reproducing the tomb owner's actual appearance (like we try to do in portraiture in our own time). Instead, the person was identified through inscriptions on the work. We're seeing him here at three different stages of life, and those stages are the important idea behind the sculpture, instead of his actual facial features. Another interesting fact: his skin is painted red because all men in ancient Egyptian art were depicted in red to associate them with Sun god, Ra.
It looks like there are cracks in the feet. Is this because they would have been broken off at some point?
This sculpture is made of wood, and therefore it's not as durable as stone, for example. The feet are worn and even somewhat "decayed," according to the Museum's official catalogue description! You might also notice some cracks on the left side of the face and hands. Changes in humidity and temperature could have contributed to these damages in the wood.
His eyes are so cool, I feel like he's staring into my soul haha!
Ohhhh, maybe he is, from his afterlife! Just kidding! They are made of obsidian (the black stone) and alabaster, and outlined in copper metal.
How did they make the kilt stand out in the front?
I'm not entirely sure that the kilt would have been as dramatic in real life as it is depicted in the sculpture. I can tell you with certainty though that the lines you see depicted on the statue allude to how the fabric was elaborately folded in real life which may have helped it keep a shape.
Who was Metjetji?
Metjetji was a senior official who was honored by a pharaoh, Unas, of the Fifth dynasty.
Why was he honored?
I'm not sure exactly. The long white kilt in one of his statues and inscriptions on the statues as well as his tomb suggest the Metjetji rose to a very high rank in the government and likely worked directly with the pharaoh.
This is incredible! I've never seen such an expressive face from the Old Kingdom. Is there anything special about this or have I just not seen enough Egyptian faces in wood?
It's possible! Wood was, of course, and easier material to work with than stone, but is also significantly rarer in the archaeological record. For one thing, wood was rare in ancient Egypt because it all had to be imported. Also, wood only lasts thousands of years in very special conditions like in some dark tombs, like Metjetji's. You're right, this wooden figure is more subtly detailed than one from the same time in stone.
Can you tell me more about these two works?
These two statues, and a third one in a case nearby, all come from the tomb of an official named Metjetji. He served the pharaoh Unas in the late 5th Dynasty. The two statues you photographed show Metjetji as a younger man. The third we can tell represents a time later in his life because he has a longer kilt of a higher rank and the style is different.
Thank you.
Tell me more.
Later in his life he reached the rank of senior official as indicated by his long white kilt.
The way he holds the kilt with his right hand is also of note. It helps to date the sculpture because this gesture was only really used in sculpture in the late 5th and 6th dynasty.
Is his position in the government known?
We do know a few of his titles! These statues appear to only list his name, but may more images of Metjetji are known and they include inscriptions that indicate he was:
Overseer of the Office of the Palace of Tenants, Liege of the King of the Great Palace, and honored by Unas, a pharaoh of the 5th Dynasty.
Cool! Thank you so much!
Why is there so much color still visible on ancient Egyptian sculptures, but almost none on Greek and Roman? Better preserved? Different paint or dye?
Ancient Egyptian sculptures are definitely better preserved due to a combination of factors. The climate of Egypt is hot and consistently dry unlike that of Greece or Italy. Plus tombs, like the one where these statues were buried, are dark. Protection from light and moisture are essential for the preservation of many materials.
Another factor is the layer of plaster that coats these wooden sculptures and also would have coated limestone sculpture and the way that the paint adheres to that plaster. In the case of ancient Greece and Rome, paint flakes off of marble much more easily.
Makes sense, thanks!
You're welcome! These special conditions are the same reason that materials like wood, papyrus, and fabrics are preserved so much more often in Egypt than in other regions!
What is this made out of?
This statue is made out of wood. It has been covered in a layer of plaster gesso, to smooth it out, and then painted. If you look at the areas where the paint is flaking off you can also see how thick a layer of plaster gesso the artist used.
What kind of wood was it made out of?
The wood itself has not been tested so we can't be sure, but it appears especially fine and was likely imported.
What is the white thing on the statue?
The white kilt is a skirt-like garment made of stiff linen. The longer length of this particular kilt indicates that this sculpture shows Metjetji as a more senior official.
Why does his foot have a split in the middle?
It looks like the pieces have separated over time as the wood has dried. Both the arms and feet were sculpted separately from the body and attached with pins.
Why does this statue have a large head, big eyes, and long fingers?
Those are typical features of the style of sculpture that became popular at the beginning of the 6th Dynasty in Egypt. The other two statues of Metjetji are in the older style common in the 5th Dynasty, but by the end of Metjetji's life the style of sculpture had changed.
This style of wooden sculpture, known to scholars as the "Second Style," is characterized by elongated, slim bodies, a detailed face including large eyes, a short nose, and a "strong" mouth, and minimal clothing.
Where can I find more information about the Statue of Metjetji online?
You can find this book online: “Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids edited by Dorothea Arnold and published by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1999. There is an entire chapter on Metjetji’s tomb.
There are more pieces from Metjetji's tomb in other collections around the country such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Nelson-Atkins Museum, and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. You might want to check out their online resources.
Thanks
His eyes look unusual.
Yes! The eyes are obsidian circles set into alabaster, a typical technique of the Old Kingdom period.
They do appear rather large; enlarged features on an elongated head and body were typical of new style that emerged at end of the 5th Dynasty to the beginning of the 6th Dynasty, exactly when Metjetji lived.
Awesome, thank you for the additional info!
