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The family, and especially its central element, the couple, played a predominant role in ancient Egypt. This statue illustrates the attachment to the family unit that was so important in pharaonic Egypt. The man is wearing a simple hemmed kilt and is depicted with his left foot forward. His right arm, which must have held a cane, is held close to his chest. His right arm hangs from his side, and his first is clenched. The woman, probably his wife, stands close to her partner, holding him by the waist. She is wearing a close-fitting dress that reveals her finely carved body. During the early Old Kingdom, statues of couples of family groups represented members of the royal family only; during the 5th and 6th Dynasties, many statues of private Egyptians appeared. While drawing inspiration from stone statues, such as that of King Mycerinos and his wife, the artist also successfully moved beyond the style of the conventional and cold royal versions to create a unique and lively work.
A unique, anonymous couple
This statue is exceptional as it is the only known wooden couple from the Old Kingdom, in that wood is far more fragile that stone. A detailed study of the work even revealed that the man and woman are carved from a single piece of acacia, with a few added elements, such as the man’s left forearm. Unfortunately, this statue does not have any inscriptions, so we cannot identify this couple. The base, now missing, probably had an inscription giving the names of the figures. Furthermore, we have no proof that this group, often cited in publications with the title “Memphis civil servant and his wife,” actually came from Memphis - although it probably is from this city.
Only Mut and Al-Qasr qualifies as towns. Before the road came here, Dakhla must have felt like a planet of its own, where only few inhabitants ever came as far as to the neighbouring oases Kharga and Farafra.
