Research Paper On The Seated Scribe

One of the most famous unknown figures, as well as one of the most strikingly accurate sculptures of Ancient Egyptian artwork is known as the Seated Scribe; though its name is a more generic term, as it is unknown officially what this statue is called. There are many unknown mysteries behind this exquisite piece. The Seated Scribe, also sometimes called the "Squatting Scribe," is an ancient Egyptian structure discovered in Saqqara, displaying a seated figure at work, and is overall a very detailed sculpture admired by many.
The Seated Scribe dates back to the Old Kingdom. The exact date is not clear, but it was estimated to date back to the 4th Dynasty, around 2600-2350 BCE. It was discovered in Saqqara in 1850 by a French archeologist named,

The pudgy torso, belly fat, and lack of muscle depict this scribe as a middle-aged man. Based from the posture of his right hand, it is believed he was holding some writing utensil, which is now missing. The sculpture is made from limestone, with rock crystal, magnesite, and copper. It was painted to give "lifelike quality to the stone statue (Kleiner, "Gardner's Art: Western Perspective" 49). He has black hair, orange-brown body, slightly darker around the head and neck, and reddish ocher to tint flesh areas. Special care was given to the eyes to "express his wisdom and the depth of his psyche (El-Shahaway, 83 )." The eyes are made of red-veined white magnesite. A hole is drilled into the iris to display a pupil.----- Furthermore, the eyes provide

The beautiful, yet baffling sculpture never fails to impress tourists who go to visit it, and those who have viewed pictures online or in textbooks. The artistry and mystery behind the scribe has been subject to research by many historians, archeologists, scientists, artists, etc. Beth Harris and Steve Zucker, both deans of art history from Khan Academy, composed a video, showing their positive interpretation of the Seated Scribe, first starting off with the history behind it. Zucker states the importance of the statue, "not only what it tells about Egyptian Society, but also because it's a remarkably distinct sculpture ("Old Kingdom: Seated Scribe")." This is also when they dive into its characteristics. Harris describes the figure as looking, "very human, very natural ("Old Kingdom: Seated Scribe")." She also states his level of importance because he was able to write, which back then was a very important skill to have. He was "obviously of a very high class, because he had a sculpture made of him ("Old Kingdom: Seated Scribe")." They further describe facial details and overall beauty in the sculpture. According to archeologist Auguste Mariette, who discovered the sculpture, he supposedly found it north of Serapeum's line of sphinxes. Furthermore to its unknown original location, excavation journals and archives were