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Nikare and his family
Saqqara, Dynasty 5, ca. 2420-2323 B.C.
Painted limestone, h. 22 1/2 in.
Rogers Fund, 1952
52.19

The Old Kingdom granary official Nikare (nye-kah-ray) commissioned this statue of himself, his wife, and his young daughter for his mastaba at Saqqara. Scale and position indicate importance. Nikare, by far the largest figure, sits in the center on a thronelike seat. His small wife sits by his legs on the ground; her back is attached to the stone block upon which her husband sits. The body of their little daughter, recessed even further, is carved in high relief against her father's seat, except for her head, which is sculpted fully in the round. At the back of her head we see her long braided hair, a fashion at the time for young women. She is nude and touches her left breast with her right hand. Both women's pubic areas are emphasized, an indication, perhaps, that their presence will help Nikare to attain rebirth after death.

The figures of the women fit comfortably into the rectangular outline of the whole composition, and the composure of the group is reinforced by the squared-off shape of Nikare's shoulders and his frontal pose. The mass of the figures creates an impression of monumentality even though the statue is less than two feet high.

Although the anatomical details are based upon those of real bodies, they have been simplified and abstracted. The faces of the figures are nearly identical, suggesting that they were not meant to be portraits but rather idealized representations. Nikare and his wife are shown in the prime of life, the ideal age for eternity. Traces of the original paint remain. Nikare's flesh was reddish brown, the conventional skin color for males, and the wigs bear traces of black. Egyptians of status wore wigs, presumably on formal occasions. Curls of the wife's own hair can be seen on her forehead just beneath the wig.

Notice: the various figures, scale, poses, frontality, sense of the block, material, traces of paint

Discuss: family dynamics, reasons for the idealization, function

Compare with: Stela of a Middle Kingdom official, Menna and his family fishing and fowling, and Yuny and his wife, Renenutet

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