Old Kingdom Sculpture on the Wooden Statue of Ka-aper

Old Kingdom Sculpture on the Wooden Statue of Ka-aper

The wooden statue of Kaaper is known for its remarkably lifelike depictions from the Old Kingdom during the late 4th or early 5th Dynasty around 2,500 BC. Kaaper widely known as Sheikh el-Balad was a priest and chief scribe in ancient Egypt. Carved from Sycamore wood with eyes inlaid with rock crystals and a copper border this realistic piece of ancient Egyptian art from the 5th Dynasty was found at Mastaba necropolis C8 in Saqqara.

The Step Pyramid of Djoser located in the city of Saqqara Egypt is the first pyramid in the history of ancient Egypt.

Local workers called the statue of Kaaper "Sheikh el-Balad" the village leader due to its resemblance to the village chiefs they knew. It was discovered in 1860 by local workers in Kaaper's Mastaba necropolis in Saqqara near Cairo. This wooden sculpture differed from the idealized sculptures of the time marking the beginning of lifelike depictions of priests in wood and stone. The wooden statue of Kaaper differing from the idealized dynastic art of the time is a prime example of ancient Egyptian art from the 5th Dynasty. The realism found in mastabas forms the basis for the development of the Step Pyramid of Pharaoh Djoser.

The wooden statue of Ka-aper an Egyptian priest and high-ranking scribe is approximately 4,500 years old dating from the late 4th to early 5th Dynasty. It is currently on display at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

Ancient Egyptian art from the 5th Dynasty emphasized the construction of temples to the sun god Ra complete with large obelisks. Tall pointed obelisks symbolized sunlight. Ancient Egyptian art including painting and sculpture favored bas-reliefs and inscriptions depicting hunting and agriculture on walls. These inscriptions found on stone walls and tomb walls, recorded the worship of the sun god including the maintenance of temples and the performance of rituals honoring Ra the supreme deity.