Egyptian sculpture

METHODS OF THE ARTIST 23

(The long thin figures with excessively narrow waists are characteristic of this period.) The vertical line passing in front of the ear is slightly nearer to the front of the body than to the back, and though it cuts the back foot at the conventional place, it is considerably nearer to the back leg than to the front. The carriage of the figure is thus different from the preceding period.

Middle Kingdom

The canon of the Middle Kingdom is the same as that of the Old Kingdom as regards height. The tomb of Ukhthetep, at Meir, preserves the squaring of the wall, and gives eighteen squares as the height from the ground to the edge of the hair, with an extra square for the top of the head. Taking the head-length, which is two squares, as the unit, the proportions are as follows:

Head (hair to shoulder) .. ae .. Iunit Shoulder to hem of kilt .. a .. 5 units Hemtoground .. od oe -. 3 units

The proportions within the main measurements are:

Ground to nipple .. a < -. 7 units

Ground to belt (front) sys a .. 5 units

Ground to base of hip . we .. 44 units Ground to base of knee .. as .. 2% units Across shoulders .. ale an .. 2 units Across waist ae ay 7 .. I} units Across feet .. “EF sis ae .. 3% units

The vertical line is drawn at the front of the ear, at an equal distance between the arm-pits and also between the legs where they emerge from the short kilt, and cuts through