Ka-aper
Title
Ka-aper
Date
c. 2500 BCE, Late 4th or Early 5th Dynasty (Old Kingdom)
Artist or Workshop
Unknown
Materials
Sycamore, rock quartz, copper
Height of the work
112 cm tall
Provenience
Egypt, Saqqara, mastaba, Saqqara C8
Current Location
Egyptian Museum, Cairo, Egypt
Sitter Biography
Ka-aper is identified from the inscriptions found in his Mastaba (C8) at Saqqara. Not much is known of his personal life, but his statue was found alongside a female figure, presumably his wife. He was Chief Lector-Priest and an ‘army scribe of the king.’ He is also one of 14 individuals from the Old Kingdom to be identified as priest of Heket.
Description and Significance
Description
The statue of Ka-aper was found in a typical context for elite, non-royal in the Old Kingdom: a mastaba tomb. The figure is slightly smaller than life-size, being under four feet tall. His body is wooden and rather corpulent. His head is quite round, and his face is carved with a serene expression. He has a distinct hairline. Especially striking are his inlaid eyes fashioned from quartz stone and rimmed with copper. His cheeks are fleshy and his lips are full. His torso is fleshy, and he is fashioned in a standing pose, brandishing a scepter in his outstretched left hand, with a dramatic step forward with his left foot. In his right hand, there is a hole which indicates he would have been holding another object of some sort. While barefoot, he is clothed with typical, male garb. The arms of the figure were sculpted and then fastened to the figure later, rather than being carved from a single piece of wood. The figure has sustained some damage, with many splits visible, especially on the torso, on his forehead, and on the right cheek.
Significance
Ka-aper is a fine example of the technical skill of the sculptors of the late 4th dynasty. He is considered to be one of the finer examples of realism in Egyptian art: upon his discovery, he was given an alternate Arabic name of Sheihk el-Beled (“headman of the village”), due to his likeness to a local individual. Its discovery in a tomb is significant, as the statue likely was intended to receive offerings, customary for Egyptian mortuary practice. His figure presents information about his status, namely his fleshy body indicating a secure supply of food and wealth by extension. Unlike representation of royal figures, Ka-aper is permitted to have more individualizing features such as his very round head. While identified as a scribe, he is not shown with papyrus or writing implement, perhaps indicating that he wished to accentuate other accomplishments of his. Holding his staff outward suggests an ability to issue commands, again emphasizing a higher social status, and may have some connections to his position as a priest. He exhibits characteristic frontality of Egyptian sculpture, which is particularly enhanced by his striking eyes.
The statue of Ka-aper was found in a typical context for elite, non-royal in the Old Kingdom: a mastaba tomb. The figure is slightly smaller than life-size, being under four feet tall. His body is wooden and rather corpulent. His head is quite round, and his face is carved with a serene expression. He has a distinct hairline. Especially striking are his inlaid eyes fashioned from quartz stone and rimmed with copper. His cheeks are fleshy and his lips are full. His torso is fleshy, and he is fashioned in a standing pose, brandishing a scepter in his outstretched left hand, with a dramatic step forward with his left foot. In his right hand, there is a hole which indicates he would have been holding another object of some sort. While barefoot, he is clothed with typical, male garb. The arms of the figure were sculpted and then fastened to the figure later, rather than being carved from a single piece of wood. The figure has sustained some damage, with many splits visible, especially on the torso, on his forehead, and on the right cheek.
Significance
Ka-aper is a fine example of the technical skill of the sculptors of the late 4th dynasty. He is considered to be one of the finer examples of realism in Egyptian art: upon his discovery, he was given an alternate Arabic name of Sheihk el-Beled (“headman of the village”), due to his likeness to a local individual. Its discovery in a tomb is significant, as the statue likely was intended to receive offerings, customary for Egyptian mortuary practice. His figure presents information about his status, namely his fleshy body indicating a secure supply of food and wealth by extension. Unlike representation of royal figures, Ka-aper is permitted to have more individualizing features such as his very round head. While identified as a scribe, he is not shown with papyrus or writing implement, perhaps indicating that he wished to accentuate other accomplishments of his. Holding his staff outward suggests an ability to issue commands, again emphasizing a higher social status, and may have some connections to his position as a priest. He exhibits characteristic frontality of Egyptian sculpture, which is particularly enhanced by his striking eyes.
References
Bárta, M. 1999. “The Title ‘Priest of Heket’ in the Egyptian Old Kingdom.” Journal of Near Eastern Studies, 58.2. 107-116.
Breckenridge, James D. 1968. Likeness; a Conceptual History of Ancient Portraiture. Evanston Ill: Northwestern University Press.
Capart, Jean. 1920. "Some Remarks on the Sheikh El-Beled." The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 6.4. 225-33.
Rice, Michael. 1999. Who's Who in Ancient Egypt. Who's Who. London: Routledge. 88.
Sourouzian, Hourig. 2010. "Old Kingdom Sculpture". In Lloyd, Alan B. A Companion to Ancient Egypt, Volume I. Wiley-Blackwell. 874-875.
http://www.globalegyptianmuseum.org/detail.aspx?id=14910
Breckenridge, James D. 1968. Likeness; a Conceptual History of Ancient Portraiture. Evanston Ill: Northwestern University Press.
Capart, Jean. 1920. "Some Remarks on the Sheikh El-Beled." The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 6.4. 225-33.
Rice, Michael. 1999. Who's Who in Ancient Egypt. Who's Who. London: Routledge. 88.
Sourouzian, Hourig. 2010. "Old Kingdom Sculpture". In Lloyd, Alan B. A Companion to Ancient Egypt, Volume I. Wiley-Blackwell. 874-875.
http://www.globalegyptianmuseum.org/detail.aspx?id=14910
Contributor
Jonathan Clark
Citation
Unknown, “Ka-aper,” Digital Portrait "Basket" - ARTH488A - "Ancient Mediterranean Portraiture", accessed May 20, 2024, https://classicalchopped2.artinterp.org/omeka/items/show/8.
Item Relations
This item has no relations.