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Ka Statue of King Hor

The Ka statue of King Hor is a wooden sculpture from the Thirteenth Dynasty of Ancient Egypt, dating to around 1730 BCE. It was discovered in 1894 in the tomb of King Hor at Dahshur during excavations led by Jacques de Morgan. The statue is now displayed in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo and is regarded as one of the great works of Egyptian art. Made of wood and originally covered with a thin layer of stucco, it shows the king with a wide collar and the Ka symbol on his head. The figure once held a staff and scepter, and it was found inside a wooden naos in the tomb chamber.

Wooden statue of King Hor with a pharaonic headdress and false beard on a black background.
The Ka statue of King Hor, shown as a dark wooden figure with a pharaonic headdress and false beard.
September 2023 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Ka statue of King Hor, a dark wooden ancient Egyptian figure with a pharaonic headdress and false beard.
The Ka statue of King Hor shown in dramatic lighting against a dark background.
September 2023 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Statue of King Hor standing in a museum display, wearing a striped headdress and false beard and holding a staff.
Statue of King Hor on display in the Cairo Museum.
© Rijksmuseum · CC0
Standing statue of King Hor with a headdress and broad collar, shown stepping forward on a rectangular base.
Statue of King Hor displayed in the Cairo Museum, shown here in a black-and-white photograph.
© Rijksmuseum · CC0
Upper body of the Ka statue of King Hor with a striped headdress and false beard against a dark background.
The Ka statue of King Hor is shown in a dramatic close-up against a black background.
September 2023 © · CC BY-SA 4.0

Identification

TitleKa statue of King Hor
Inventory numberJE 30948
SubjectKing Hor I Auibra
TypeKa statue

Historical context

Date13th Dynasty, around 1750 BCE
CultureAncient Egyptian

Creator

ExcavatorsJacques de Morgan, Georges Legrain, and Gustave Jequier

Discovery and provenance

Original tomb designProbably designed for a simple courtier and later adapted for Hor I's remains and funerary equipment
Identification of Hor IKnown chiefly from this discovery, especially two alabaster jars at the mouth of the shaft bearing his name
Condition at discoveryCovered with a layer of gray paint that disintegrated on contact with air
Find positionFound lying on its back inside a wooden naos at the rear of the tomb, in one of the rooms of the funerary temple complex
Tomb contentsSarcophagus with the ruler's body, a wooden shrine, and the statue of his ka
Tomb typePit tomb
Discovery locationKing Hor's tomb at Dahshur, near the northeast corner of the pyramid of Amenemhat III
Discovery date1894

Physical characteristics

Height135 cm
Total height170 cm with pedestal and ka symbol

Materials

MaterialWood
Surface treatmentOriginally covered with stucco, and probably gilded; both are now lost
Naos materialWood
Naos decorationFormerly partly covered with gold leaf and decorated with carved flowers and hieroglyphic inscriptions naming the king; these are now lost

Appearance

Facial featuresLong curled beard
UraeusNone
Attributes heldOriginally held a staff in the left hand and a sceptre in the right
EyesInlaid eyes of rock crystal and quartz
Neck ornamentBroad collar around the neck
Head attributeKa sign made of two raised arms on the wig
ClothingOriginally fitted with a short skirt and probably a traditional white kilt; only traces of a painted belt remain
Current appearanceThe figure is now naked and stripped of some original regalia, though key features remain
HeadgearTripartite wig

Iconography and meaning

RepresentationThe statue shows the king as his ka rather than as a portrait of the pharaoh
Religious meaningIn ancient Egyptian belief, the ka was the most important of several souls or spirits and animated the visible form chosen by the ba
Iconographic interpretationThe wig and long curled beard allude to the divine nature of the represented subject; the ka sign identifies him as his ka
Portrait statusNot a portrait of the pharaoh

Location and ownership

Current locationEgyptian Museum, Cairo
Museum statusOn display

History and restoration

Reason for tomb placementThe cult temple was never built, likely because the king reigned only very briefly, so the statue was placed in the burial chamber
PreservationThe statue now appears stripped of its clothing and some original regalia
Museum historyAfter arriving at the museum, it disappeared in 1902 and was later found hidden in a secluded place by a worker who had damaged it and feared punishment
InterpretationDorothea Arnold suggested it may once have been made for the king's cult temple
Associated offeringsMany offerings were found around the statue

Significance

Art historical statusConsidered one of the major works of Egyptian art
Scholarly receptionAppears in many publications on Ancient Egyptian art
Stylistic assessmentW. Stevenson Smith described it as idealized naturalism
Stylistic comparisonCompared with other royal sculptures of the late Twelfth Dynasty, which often show an elderly face, Hor is depicted as youthful and idealized
Historical circumstanceHor I apparently died unexpectedly