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.
I noticed some works from ancient Egypt that are still brightly painted. Is this because you have repainted some of the works?
In general the answer is no. Paint from antiquity can remain given the right conditions--many Egyptian tombs had just the right conditions--and if it was preserved during excavation. The paint on this wooden statue of Metjetji is all original! You can see areas in which the paint, which was applied on top of plaster-covered wood, has suffered a little damage in the four thousand years since this statue was made! The stable and dry climate of Egypt has allowed for many objects to be preserved that we don't see from wetter climates. It's also how wood and papyrus survives into the modern era.
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.
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.
Did actual ancient people have this same hair style?
Yes, they did! Hairdressing was an important part of ancient Egyptian beauty and following hairstyle trends can be one way that images can be dated.
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!
