Accession: OIM E10628 Period: Dynasty 5, ca. 2445-2414 BC Dimensions:
H. 13.2cm
This statue of a potter came from a group of twenty-five statues from the tomb of Ny-kau-Inpu, a cemetery official who was probably buried at Giza. The statues included representations of Ny-kau-Inpu and his wife, his family, and household staff. The statues were put in the tomb to serve as duplicates of the individuals, ensuring that Ny-kau-Inpu and his household would live forever. This figure is one of the earliest-known statues of a potter. It shows him squatting before a low hand-turned wheel as he forms a broad bowl. The arduousness of his profession is indicated by the way his ribs stand out on his back, how his skin is tightly drawn over his face, and by his deeply receded hairline.
