Through the Eras

Visual ArtsStatue of Khafre, wearing the nemes headcloth and falsebeard, with the falcon of the god Horus protecting him. THEART ARCHIVE/EGYPTIAN MUSEUM CAIRO/DAGLI ORTI.overwhelming power and majesty both through the skillfulcarving and forceful presentation of the king.PEPI I. The calcite seated statue of Pepi I (2338–2298 B.C.E.) recalls the seated statue of Khafre but alsodemonstrates the kinds of changes which occurred in artbetween the earlier king’s reign and the Sixth Dynasty(2345–2181 B.C.E.). Few other statues from Egypt soclearly read like a hieroglyph as does this one. The kingsits on a throne that is shaped exactly like the hieroglyphfor the word throne. He wears the white crown that identifieshim as the king of Upper Egypt. He also wears acloak that scholars recognize as the same costume theking wears during the heb-sed (jubilee). The king’s armscross his chest and he holds the crook and flail. Thesetwo objects identify the king with the god Osiris. Aninscription on the base identifies the king and is orientedto the viewer. Perched on the back of the throne is thefalcon that represents the god Horus. The bird’s poserecalls the profile view of the falcon in two dimensionsfound on the Stela of Wadj. Just as was true on Wadj’sstela, beneath the falcon the king’s name is written withina serekh. The back of the statue thus stresses the livingking’s association with the god Horus on earth. TheSmall seated statuette of Pepi I with Horus falcon. BROOKLYNMUSEUM OF ART, 39.120, CHARLES EDWIN WILBOUR FUND. REPRO-DUCED BY PERMISSION.king’s facial features differ from Khafre’s face. His eyebrowsare broad, arch over his eye, and extend back towardthe ears. The cosmetic line, the representation ofthe kohl applied like eyeliner that encircles the king’seye, also extends parallel to the eyebrow toward the ear.The king’s lips are thick, and the mouth is shaped in anoval without any pointed corners. The small scale of thissculpture allowed the artist to carve the negative spaceof the legs, freeing them from the block.PEPI I KNEELING. A small schist statue of Pepi Ikneeling is an example of another typical Egyptian royalstatue type. It portrays the king kneeling and holding ajar in each hand. The king is making a liquid offeringto a god. This statue is the oldest complete example ofa royal kneeling statue, but there is a fragment of asimilar statue from the reign of Khafre known to Egyptologists.The king wears a Nemes kerchief. A Uraeus,probably fashioned from precious materials, once filledthe hole over the king’s forehead. The king also wears ashendjet kilt, a garment worn only by kings that thushelps to identify him. His facial features are typical ofArts and Humanities Through the Eras: Ancient Egypt (2675 B.C.E.–332 B.C.E.) 281