A ka statue is a type of ancient Egyptian statue intended to provide a resting place for the '' ka'' (life-force or spirit) of the person after death. The ancient Egyptians believed the ''ka'', along with the physical body, the name, the '' ba'' (personality or soul), and the '' šwt'' (shadow), made up the five aspects of a person.

Purpose and use

After death, the ethereal aspects of the soul were believed to be released from the body, free to roam the earth, but required the physical body or a surrogate, such as the ka statue, to return to as a permanent home. ''Ka statues'' could also be set up as a type of memorial for the deceased ''in absentia''; for example in Abydos hundreds were set up to allow the dead to participate in the yearly festivals commemorating the resurrection of

Osiris Osiris (, from Egyptian ''wsjr'', cop, ⲟⲩⲥⲓⲣⲉ , ; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎𐤓, romanized: ʾsr) is the god of fertility, agriculture, the afterlife, the dead, resurrection, life, and vegetation in ancient Egyptian religion. He was ...

. Because the ancient Egyptians believed statues could magically perceive the world, they were ceremonially brought to life by priests in a special ritual called the

opening of the mouth ceremony The opening of the mouth ceremony (or ritual) was an ancient Egyptian ritual described in funerary texts such as the Pyramid Texts. ''PeseshKaf'' is an instrument used for this ritual, ''psš'' (“an instrument for Opening of the mouth”) + ''k ...

. In the full version of this ceremony, the mouth, eyes, nose, and ears could be touched with ritual implements to give the statue the power of breath, sight, smell, and hearing.

Design and construction

Ka statues were usually carved from wood or stone and sometimes painted in the likeness of the owner to reinforce the spiritual connection and preserve the person's memory for eternity. Many ''ka'' statues were placed in a purpose-built mortuary chapel, or niche, which could be covered with appropriate inscriptions. Like most ancient Egyptian statuary, ''ka'' statues display a rigid frontalism in which the body faces squarely forward in a formal way. Whether seated or standing, their posture reflects the need for the statue to "see" the real world in front of them and conform to an ideal standard of beauty and perfection. The

hieroglyph A hieroglyph ( Greek for "sacred carvings") was a character of the ancient Egyptian writing system. Logographic scripts that are pictographic in form in a way reminiscent of ancient Egyptian are also sometimes called "hieroglyphs". In Neoplatoni ...

representing the ''ka'' is a pair of upraised arms. It is sometimes depicted on top of the head of the statue to reinforce its intended purpose.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ka Statue Ancient Egyptian funerary practices Sculptures of ancient Egypt

Purpose and use

Design and construction

See also

References