Seated Scribe

This seated scribe follows the conventions of Old Kingdom Egyptian Sculpture except, typically, this piece would have been carved from granite. Ancient Egypt valued formulaic conventions for artistic sculpture; therefore, there is a congruence for thousands of years.

The Old Kingdom formulas, conventions, and details of representation usually have: the rigidity of the stance (or in this case, seat), the strict frontality of perspective, the sparseness of the silhouette, arms at the side, kilt, and the headdress; even the stylistic carving techniques recall the Old Kingdom. Additionally, notice how there is no negative space between the body and the arms and legs. It is as if they are all glued together, which is typical of scultpures from this era.

The role of the scribes was to read and write, specifically hieroglyphics. Scribes were educated and literate. Scribes usually wrote on papyrus with reed brushes dipped in ink. The ancient Egyptians made ink by grinding brightly coloured minerals into powder, then mixing the powder with liquid so that it was easier to apply.