Aging Signs on Some Male Statues of the Old and Middle kingdoms

Abstract

Ancient Egyptian art is one of the most important sources of understanding the Egyptian civilization, the tombs and temples wall scenes and the large number of objects provided a rich source of information. This art is distinguished by its unique style and conventions, and characterized by the large number of statuary produced all along the history. Egyptian sculpture was created for eternity. A large number of statues were placed in temples and tombs, either for the kings, for the gods or for the elite officials. They were not just works of art, but were meant to provide a physical body and had to be recognizable and appropriate to the being that was meant to manifest in it. Sculptors were looked at as creators, or the ones that give life, as they make a statue and prepare it to live again in the afterlife. Sculptures with aging signs were not common in the ancient Egyptian art. Creating an ideal image of the person was the aim of every human, hoping to reach eternity with beautiful facial features, youthful body and harmonious proportions. Men can be depicted at different stages of their lives, either young, middle-age or old, whereas older women statues are rare. This paper aims at highlighting