Monday 06/April/2026 – 08:00 AM
The Liverpool Museum preserves a small statue of a man’s head made of wood, which is considered one of the rarest examples of “Ka” statues from the Old Kingdom era. The piece, which bears the number 49.47.578 and was discovered in Luxor, embodies precise artistic features that reflect an advanced level of sculpture in that era, as the head clearly appears with a short, tightly curly hairstyle, which was one of the prevailing fashion features at that time among the ancient Egyptian elite.
A rare wooden head from the Old Kingdom era attracts attention inside the Liverpool Museum
The facial features also reveal precise details, most notably the outlines of the eyes that suggest the use of “kohl” as an aesthetic and symbolic element at the same time, which reflects the ancient Egyptian interest in highlighting the spiritual and aesthetic identity of the deceased inside the “Ka” statues, which were made to be a symbolic seat for the soul.
The height of the piece is only about 11 cm, but despite its small size, it carries great archaeological value, as it represents a rare example of wooden statues that have survived the elements of time compared to other, more fragile materials.
Researchers confirm that this piece is an important witness to the development of the art of sculpture in the Old Kingdom, and to the high precision reached by the Egyptian artist in depicting human features in a realistic and symbolic spirit at the same time.
