KA
PART - 2
Ka
statue :
The
ka statue, here that of pharaoh Hor, provided a physical place
for the ka to manifest
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.
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. 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
Egyptian hieroglyphs
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 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.
Source
:
https://en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/Ka_statue