Seated Statue of Ankhwa
From Saqqara
Old Kingdom, Third Dynasty (about 2686-2613 B.C.)
Granite , Height 25-7/8 in.
EA 171, acquired in 1835 at the sale of the Salt Collection (cat. no 4)
©Trustees of The British Museum, Courtesy AFA

This figure’s disproportionately large head and strong but simply carved facial features characterize sculpture made at the beginning of the Old Kingdom. Also typical of art from that period are the stool with curved braces and the depiction of the man holding a sign of his profession. Here, Ankhwa, a shipbuilder with favored status, grasps a woodworking tool.