Striding Man
Old Kingdom
Ka-statues were created for use in the funerary cult and their intent was to make the deceased present after death in order to accept offerings from the living. The statues depict their owners in their best dress: a pleated kilt, jewelry, and styled hair. The man here, however, wears only a short wig of tightly layered curls. His large head, long body and limbs, and narrow waist date the statue to the late Old Kingdom, when male nudity in ka statues was more common. Why this happened is not clearly understood, but it is thought to be one way the deceased could be readied for rebirth into the next life. Perhaps leaving this life without clothing was thought to mimic the way a baby arrives into the world.
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