Ask the Scholar

Patrons occasionally commissioned sculptors to show them at a particular time of life. Imti is represented as a youth with close-cropped hair. A necklace of alternating white and black beads with amulet and a blue bracelet bordered in white and black adorn his otherwise nude body. Nudity may also suggest rebirth into the afterlife. Typical of wooden statues, the arms and front of the feet were carved separately and attached to the body or base with pegs. The boy is depicted striding with his left foot forward. His right arm is at his side and his left arm is bent forward to hold a staff (which is missing). The head is shaven and the hairline and hair tufts are represented by a black line and black points, respectively. The whole figure is covered with a thin layer of red-brown paint, chipped off in many pieces. The finger-nails are painted white and two black dots above the buttocks indicate dimples. The base is red with a black top and is incised with hieroglyphs filled in with white. The inscription on the base names the owner of the statue.The arms are inset and fastened with wooden nails. The feet are made separately and are fastened to the base with wooden nails.