When you visit Egyptian Museum in downtown Cairo, you can see a wooden statue standing upright holding a stick on his left hand as if he were walking. It is for Kaaper who worked as chief lector priest, whose work was reciting spells and hymns during temple rituals and official ceremonies.
The 112-cm-high statue is carved from sycamore. It is regarded as one of finest collections that dates back to the early 5th dynasty of the Old Kingdom (2686–2181 BC).
His rounded face makes him look peaceful. His inlaid eyes reflect vitality as if he were a human. The eyes are made of rock crystal rimmed in copper.
He was found by French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette (1821-1881) in the Saqqara necropolis, south of the Egyptian capital.
An interesting incident occurred when Mariette excavated the area. It is said that he was accompanied by Egyptian workmen living there. When they found the statue, they suddenly shouted saying: Oh my god! The statue looks like our sheikh el-balad, (village chief). Otherwise, we have no information about his life.
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