Egypt, Giza, Old Kingdom (2647–2124 BCE), Dynasty 5 / c. 2377–2311 BCE
Striding Statue of Minnefer
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Striding Statue of Minnefer as sculpture (Egypt, Giza, Old Kingdom (2647–2124 BCE), Dynasty 5 · c. 2377–2311 BCE).
In the Old Kingdom, wigs like the one Minnefer wears here were used to demonstrate higher social status.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this sculpture as painted limestone.
The museum's collection notes: The base of this statue is inscribed with the name and title of the supervisor of palace attendants, Minnefer. He is represented as young and athletic, hands at his sides and left foot forward, the typical striding pose for male figures. To make the statue more lifelike, the flesh areas were originally painted reddish brown, the wig black, and the kilt white. This was one of four statues of Minnefer that were found in the serdab (sealed statue chamber) of his ruined mastaba (tomb) in the cemetery west of the Great Pyramid at Giza. Most Old Kingdom private statues were concealed in this way. The statue was regarded as more than just a represen
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The Cleveland Museum of ArtStriding Statue of MinneferOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.