Statue of Copper, one of the hidden treasures of ancient Egypt
Among the amazing treasures of Pharaonic art that are preserved There is a statue that has been displayed in secret in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo corner On the ground floor, especially in Gallery 42, dedicated to the art of the Old Kingdom, a piece that may go unnoticed by visitors in a hurry. It is a sycamore wood statue, certainly by an unknown author, 112 centimeters high, representing a high official of the Wei Dynasty (2435–2306 BC) named Kapar.
The copper statue is round in shape and The character is shown standing as a somewhat obese man (Remember that obesity was synonymous with high social status in ancient Egypt) middle age, with early baldness, left foot forward, in walking posture, leaning on a long pole and wearing a skirt. The eyes are made from inlays of copper, rock crystal, alabaster and obsidian, and the weapons were assembled later.
Basically, the idol it was plastered and painted, although nothing remains of this coating. But how did this extraordinary object end up in the Egyptian Museum’s collection?
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Caper, just like the “people’s mayor”
In 1860, Auguste Mariette was director of the Egyptian Antiquities Service. The French were then directing excavations at the Saqqara Necropolis, located about 20 kilometers from present-day Cairo. While exploring a C8 mastaba belonging to an important figure located north of the step pyramid of Pharaoh Djoser, Workers digging inside encountered the statue of the ownerA man named Kapar.
The Egyptian staff were impressed by his realism and it was indicative of his unique sense of humor They baptized him with the name Sheikh al-Beled, which means “mayor of the city.” forks With his solemn and regal expression, the coarse character reminded him of his town’s mayor.
The grave and majestic expression of the Kapar statue reminded the workers of their local mayor.
Statue of senior officer Kapar. Egyptian Museum, Cairo.
Statue of senior officer Kapar. Egyptian Museum, Cairo.
Egyptian Museum in Cairo
At the time of its discovery, the Copper Statue had several defects. Marriott ordered renovations before showcasing it To the public at the Bulaq Museum, which is the predecessor of the present-day Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
The lower area and its supports were the worst preserved, although the names and important titles that Kapar held during his lifetime can still be read. Legs and part of foot reconstructedAnd the base on which the statue is currently displayed, as well as the staff held by the character, are modern.
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more wooden sculptures
However this realistic statue was not the only piece of wood that Mariette found in the Mastaba of Kapar. French Egyptologists discovered two more incomplete statues. One represented a young man in his full strength, possibly a young caper because the features of both statues are very similar despite the greater weight of the character in adulthood. The second is a female statue wearing a short wig who has been identified as Capper’s wife.
Archaeologists found two more figurines in Kapar’s tomb: Kapar himself as a young man and a woman.
Detail of a wooden female figurine discovered in Kapar’s tomb that may represent his wife. Egyptian Museum, Cairo.
Detail of a wooden female figurine discovered in Kapar’s tomb that may represent his wife. Egyptian Museum, Cairo.
john bodsworth
And what were the titles of this important character? According to the inscriptions on his tomb, Kapar Pathak was the chief of the priests. (kher-heb), in charge of reading and reciting sacred texts during religious rituals. Other than this, He held the position of governor of Lower Egypt and royal scribe of the army. During the reign of Pharaoh Userkaf.
We also know, thanks to an inscription discovered on the stele of the false door of the tomb of the priestess Wenchet (discovered by the American Egyptologist George Reisner in 1914) that Kapar was her grandson.
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Copper’s attractive eyes
As far as the purpose of the statue goes, like all Pharaonic art this beautiful piece was not made to be viewed. Because it was found inside a mastaba, Its character is undoubtedly funnySo almost certainly its function would have been to represent Of (one of the five parts that make up the human soul) of the deceased and can reincarnate in him.
The function of the copper statue was almost certainly to represent Of Of the deceased.
Photograph of the Copper Statue taken in 1872.
Photograph of the Copper Statue taken in 1872.
Daly, Hippolyte and Emile Béchard (CC BY-SA 2.5)
In any case, the wooden sculpture of Caper, despite its cracks and some deterioration, continues to fascinate us. His facial expression, so real, so “modern”, brings us closer to the character.Which we can totally imagine doing any daily activity, from going to the temple to fulfill one’s obligations, to having dinner with one’s wife while listening to the musicians who enliven the evening. Until the game is played. Senate In the garden of his home before retiring after a hard day’s work. Today, from a simple display case in the room where it is displayed, the copper statue continues to observe the passing of time impassively…