Ka statue

Examples of Ka statue in the following topics:

• Sculpture of the Old Kingdom

  • By the Fourth Dynasty, the idea of the ka statue was firmly established.
  • Typically made of wood or stone, these statues were placed in tombs as a resting place for the ka, or spirit, of the person after death.
  • Some scholars believe that they were intended as the commoners' equivalent of ka statues, although the exact purpose remains a matter of debate.
  • These individualized busts might have been the commoners' equivalent of the ka statue, but the exact purpose remains unknown.
  • Discuss the role of ka statues and funerary art in the Old Kingdom of Ancient Egypt

• Painting of the Early Dynastic Period

  • Other conventions make statues of males darker than females.
  • By Dynasty IV (2680–2565 BCE) at the latest, the idea of the Ka statue was firmly established.
  • These were put in tombs as a resting place for the ka portion of the soul.
  • Very strict conventions were followed while crafting statues and specific rules governed appearance of every Egyptian god.
  • These conventions were intended to convey the timeless and non-aging quality of the figure's ka.

• Sculpture in the Greek High Classical Period

  • Another example of the Canon at work is seen in Polykleitos's statue of Diadumenos, a youth trying on a headband and his statue Discophoros, a discus bearer.
  • Both statues demonstrate fine proportion, ideal balance, and definable parts of the body.
  • Polykleitos not only worked in bronze but is also known for his chryselephantine cult statue of Hera at Argos, which in ancient times was compared to Phidias's colossal chryselephantine cult statues.
  • Before he created the statue of Athena Parthenos for Athens, Phidias was best known for his chryselephantine statue of Zeus at Olympia, which was considered one of the wonders of the world.
  • The statue of Zeus at Olympia is said to have been 39 feet tall chryselephantine statue.

• Egyptian Pharaohs as God-Kings

  • He is thought to be the successor to the Protodynastic pharaohs Scorpion (or Selk) and/or Ka, and he is considered by some to be the unifier of Egypt and founder of the First Dynasty—therefore the first pharaoh of unified Egypt.

• Sculpture of the New Kingdom

  • Hatshepsut's (1508–1458 BCE) construction of statues was so prolific that, today, almost every major museum in the world has a statue of hers among their collections.
  • While some statues show her in typically feminine attire, others depict her in the royal ceremonial attire.
  • The Osirian statues of Hatshepsut, located at her tomb, follow the Egyptian tradition of depicting the dead pharaoh as the god Osiris.
  • Statues typically depicted Egyptian pharaohs, often representing them as gods.
  • This famous work depicts four repeating statues of Ramses II, following the tradition of deifying pharaohs.

• Jain Sculpture

  • A colossal monolithic statue of Bahubali at Shravanbelagola, the Jain siddha (one who has attained spiritual salvation), is located in Karnataka in southern India.
  • This statue is one of the most sacred pilgrimage sites for Jain worshipers.
  • The statue was carved in 981 CE out of a single block of granite; it stands 57 feet high and is completely nude, as is customary in the Jain tradition.
  • The 57ft high Gommateshwara statue at Shravanabelagola, Karnataka, was built in 981 CE.

• Stonework on Easter Island

  • Easter Island is famous for its monumental statues, called moai, created by the early Rapa Nui people.
  • The large stone statues for which Easter Island is world-famous, known as moai, were carved from 1100–1680 CE.
  • A total of 887 monolithic stone statues have been inventoried on the island and in museum collections so far.
  • Each statue represented the deceased head of a lineage.
  • In this context, ahu referred to a small structure sometimes covered with a thatched roof where sacred objects, including statues, were stored.

• The Propylaea and the Erechtheion

  • Upon entering the Acropolis from the Propylaia, visitors were greeted by a colossal bronze statue of Athena Promachos.
  • This statue was also designed and created by Phidas and was dedicated around 456 BCE.
  • Accounts and a few coins of the statue allow us today to conclude the bronze statue portrayed a fearsome image of Athena striding forward, helmeted, her shield at her side and her spear raised high, ready to strike.
  • The temple housed the Palladium, the ancient olive-wood statue of Athena.
  • While they stand in similar poses, each statue has its own stance, facial features, hair, and drapery.

• Hatshepsut

  • Women had a high status in ancient Egypt and enjoyed the legal right to own, inherit, or will property.
  • Hatshepsut's construction of statues was so prolific that today almost every major museum in the world has a statue of hers among their collections.
  • While some statues show her in typically feminine attire, others depict her in the royal ceremonial attire.
  • The Osirian statues of Hatshepsut, located at her tomb, follow the Egyptian tradition of depicting the dead pharaoh as the god Osiris .
  • Hatshepsut is depicted in the clothing of a male king, though with a feminine form - differing from the Osirian statues in which she appears much more androgynous.

• Sculpture of the Middle Kingdom

  • Innovations during the Middle Kingdom included the solemnity evident in portraits of Senusret III and block statues.
  • Another important innovation in sculpture that occurred during the Middle Kingdom was the block statue, which would continue to be popular through to the Ptolemaic age almost 2,000 years later.
  • Block statues consist of a man squatting with his knees drawn up to his chest and his arms folded on top of his knees.
  • Block statues of the Middle Kingdom consisted of a man squatting with his knees drawn up to his chest.
  • Three black granite statues of the pharaoh Sesotris III, seen in right profile (Twelfth Dynasty, circa 1850 BCE)