The sculpture of Ancient Egypt owes its appearance and further development to religious beliefs. The requirements of the cult faith were the basis for the emergence of a particular type of statue. Religious teachings determined the iconography of the sculptures, as well as the place of their installation.
The sculpture of Ancient Egypt, the basic rules for the creation of which were finally formed during the period of the Early Kingdom, possessed the frontality and symmetry of the figure, the clarity and calmness of the lines. All these characteristics corresponded to its immediate purpose, and were also determined by its locations, which were mainly niches in the walls.
The sculpture of Ancient Egypt is distinguished by the predominance of certain poses. These include:
- sedentary - while the hands are on their knees;
- standing - the left leg is advanced;
- the pose of the scribe who sits on crossed legs.
For all sculptures, a number of rules were required:
- direct setting of the head;
- the presence of attributes of a profession or authority:
- a certain type of coloring for female and male bodies (yellow and brown, respectively);
- inlaid eyes with stones or bronze;
- exaggeration of the power and development of the body, which contributed to the message of the figure of solemn elation;
- transmission of the individual features of the faces of the deceased (it was believed that the statues observed the lives of people through special holes made at eye level).
The sculpture of Ancient Egypt became one of the means in mastering portraiture. Using gypsum they tried to save the corpse from decomposition, getting a semblance of a mask. However, the image of a living person required that the eyes of the sculpture were open. In order to achieve this, the mask was further processed.
Sculptures of Ancient Egypt are found at the opening of tombs. Their main purpose was to display various aspects of the funeral cult. In some tombs, researchers found statues made of wood. In all likelihood, certain cult rites were performed over them. During the Middle Kingdom , figurines of workers were also placed in tombs. Their mission was to provide the afterlife of the deceased. At the same time, sculptors depicted people at the time of engaging in a wide variety of activities.
The architectural design of the temples of Ancient Egypt was made using statues. The sculptures stood along the roads leading to them, in courtyards and interior spaces. Those statues, the main burden of which was the architectural and decorative design, differed from the cult ones. Their figures were large, and there was no detail in the outlines.
The statues that conveyed the images of the kings contained prayers in which God was asked for health and well-being, and sometimes assistance in political affairs. The period that lasted after the Ancient Kingdom fell, was characterized by fundamental changes in the ideological field. Pharaohs, seeking to glorify themselves and their power, commanded to put their statues in temples, next to the figures of various deities. The main purpose of such sculptures was the glorification of a living ruler. In this regard, these statues should have been as closely as possible similar to the portrait of the pharaoh.