ticketsMember | Make a donation

Kneeling captive

Old Kingdom
ca. 2246–2152 B.C.
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 103
Beginning at least in the mid-Fifth Dynasty, large sculptures of bound foreign captives appeared in the pharaoh's pyramid complex. Pepi I and Pepi II had great numbers of them. This piece and the associated piece 47,2 can be dated to the reign of Pepi II for stylistic reasons.

Statues of prisoners were presumably placed in areas of the pyramid complex where battle and triumph scenes occurred. The consistency of the breaks on these figures at the neck or shoulder and midtorso argue strongly that the statues were ritually executed, presumably to mark some event in the history of the pyramid complex.

Although stereotypes of foreign physiognomies clearly existed during the Old Kingdom, they do not correspond well with those known and identified by ethnicity from the New Kingdom.This statue may represent a desert dweller or a man from adjacent lands in the north. His face wears an expression of understandable terror.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Kneeling captive
  • Period: Old Kingdom
  • Dynasty: Dynasty 6
  • Reign: reign of Pepi II
  • Date: ca. 2246–2152 B.C.
  • Geography: From Egypt, Memphite Region, Saqqara, Pyramid complex of Pepi II probably
  • Medium: Limestone, paint
  • Dimensions: H. 86.7 × W. 31.5 × D. 40.5 cm (34 1/8 × 12 3/8 × 15 15/16 in.)
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Louis V. Bell Fund, 1964
  • Object Number: 64.260
  • Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Statue of Kneeling Captive, Limestone, paint
Statue of Kneeling Captive
ca. 2246–2152 B.C.
Tomb Chapel of Raemkai: West Wall, Limestone, paint
Tomb Chapel of Raemkai: West Wall
ca. 2446–2389 B.C.
Tomb Chapel of Raemkai: North Wall, Limestone, paint
Tomb Chapel of Raemkai: North Wall
ca. 2446–2389 B.C.
Tomb Chapel of Raemkai: East Wall, Limestone, paint
Tomb Chapel of Raemkai: East Wall
ca. 2446–2389 B.C.
Tomb Chapel of Raemkai: South Wall, Limestone, paint
Tomb Chapel of Raemkai: South Wall
ca. 2446–2389 B.C.

Related Content

Timeline of Art History

Entries from The Met's art encyclopedia.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.