Through the Eras

Visual ArtsSEATED KING. Two limestone statues representingKing Khasekhemwy, the last king of the Second Dynasty(2800–2675 B.C.E.), are among the first statues of aseated king. This standard theme in Egyptian art variedonly in the details for nearly 3,000 years. Khasekhemwysits on a simple chair-like throne with a low back. Hewears the tall, conical White Crown that proclaims theking’s power over Upper (southern) Egypt. He also wearsa cloak that Egyptologists can associate with the heb-sed,the royal jubilee festival. The king looks straight ahead,establishing that the frontal view of the statue was themain view. The king’s left arm crosses his abdomen,while his hand holds the cloak closed. The right armextends from his waist to his knee on the right thigh,the hand in a fist. Perhaps the hand originally held ascepter or some other indication of the Khasekhemwy’sroyal status. This arrangement does not conform withlater statues. In most later royal, seated statues, the king’sleft hand reaches toward offerings. This detail indicatesthat this statue was carved before the conventions becamerigid. The king’s feet rest on the base in front ofthe chair. Near his feet the artist carved Khasekhemwy’sname in hieroglyphs oriented toward the figure of theking, rather than to the viewer. This arrangement isfound on other early statues, though later the hieroglyphswill be oriented to the viewer, making them more legible.On the front and sides of the base of the statue insunk relief is a representation of defeated enemies. Theenemies are naked and arranged in awkward, pronepositions. The artist carved the number 47,209 nearsome prisoners wearing lotus flowers on their heads. Thelotus is the traditional symbol of Lower Egypt. Clearlythe statue refers to a war or series of battles in which theking defeated this large number of enemies, perhaps fromLower Egypt.DJOSER. A seated statue of King Djoser of the ThirdDynasty (2675–2625 B.C.E.) is one of the first knownlife-size images of a king. Archaeologists discovered it ina shrine at the base of his pyramid. Ancient artists positionedthe statue so that it faced a blank wall with twoholes carved through it at the statue’s eye level. Priestscould thus view the statue through the wall, and thestatue could see the offerings brought to it. Djoser wearsa heavy wig that divides the hair into three parts. Sincegods also wear this hairstyle, it identifies Djoser as fullyassimilated to divinity and thus already deceased. Over thewig, Djoser wears an early form of the Nemes kerchief,the blue and gold striped cloth restricted to kings. By theFourth Dynasty (2625–2500 B.C.E.), the period subsequentto Djoser’s time, the Nemes will fully cover theking’s hair. Here the lappets of the Nemes rest on theSeated statue of Djoser (Zoser) in Cairo Museum. © ARCHIVOICONOGRAFICO, S.A./CORBIS.hair but do not cover it completely. Djoser also wears thesame heb-sed cloak that his predecessor Khasekhemwywore in his statue. Yet the position of Djoser’s handsreverses the hands in Khasekhemwy’s sculpture. Here theking’s right hand holds the cloak closed while his leftarm is placed on his lap. The hand is flat and rests inthis statue on his lap. Similar representations of kingsArts and Humanities Through the Eras: Ancient Egypt (2675 B.C.E.–332 B.C.E.) 277