Statue of Kneeling Captive

Beginning at least in the mid-Fifth Dynasty, large sculptures of bound foreign captives appeared in the pharaoh's pyramid complex. Changes in number and deployment took place over time as, as a recent study has demonstrated. At the apogee of the pratice, Pepi I and Pepi II had great numbers of them. This piece and the associated piece 64.260 can be dated to the reign of Pepi II for stylistic reasons, and it seems from the nature of the breakage that during his regin or shortly thereafter the statues were destroyed for ritual reasons.

Although stereotypes of foreign physiognomies clearly existed during the Old Kingdom, the statues do not correspond well to any precise ethnic model and seem to be generic foreigners. Their facial features follow the 'second style' that can be identified in Egyptian elite art at the end of the 5th Dynasty and gradually became the prevailing style (see 26.2.9).

The muscles of this man's upper body have been stretched out of shape by lashing his elbows behind his back to further signal his subjugation.