On view
Statuette of Imhotep,
664–204 BCE
The survival of objects associated with the creation of art offers important information on ancient modes of representation and production that were employed by Egyptian artisans, whose identities and methods have not otherwise survived in the historical record. Molds could be used to make multiple iterations of the same object, as seen with the mold for a fish amulet, while small models offered a physical example of an individual, object, or animal that could be replicated by numerous craftsmen at once. Some of these are more schematic, offering only a rough approximation of a form, while others are more precise, such as the model for the head of a pharaoh, which features the proper proportions, marked out on a grid, on the back of the head. There also survive examples of practice, where similar animals or bodies were repeatedly carved into stone as their makers perfected their technique.
More Context
Special Exhibition
Imhotep, “the one who comes in peace,” was the chancellor of the Egyptian pharaoh Djoser (2668–2649 B.C.), in the Third Dynasty of the Old Kingdom. Very little is known of Imhotep as a historical figure, but in the centuries following his death he was gradually glorified as a scribe, counselor, doctor, priest, and astronomer, and eventually worshipped as a god of architecture and medicine. In art he is usually depicted seated and holding a scroll, perhaps recording a healing potion or spell.
Information
664–204 BCE
Africa, Egypt
