What is Ancient Egyptian Sculpture?

What is Ancient Egyptian Sculpture

Sculptures such as Mycerinus and His Queen, c.2500BC from Giza, provided a place for the actual ka to live inside after the decay of the body. The sculpture was made of slate, a very strong, hard stone. This media was chosen for its permanence and long lasting life. Since the sculpture would be home to the Pharaoh, it had to look dignified and be shown in a characteristic pose. The figures appeared stiff and angular, as stated by the priests, to achieve these dignified and stable forms. In this characteristic view, the human body was portrayed standing with square shoulders, feet flat, and left foot forward. The eyes of the statues were often inlaid with quartz and painted to make the figure appear as if it had a spirit contained within. [MH] {NR}