Figure 1.--This Ancient Egyptian statue, showing a child, comes from 6th Dynasty in the Old Kingdom (2345-2181 BC). It is interesting because it is the oldest artistic representation of a child in this case a boy, that we have yet found. Unfortunately as the boy was depicted naked, it does not provide any clothing details, although we do see hair style. Children in the Old Kingdom commonly went naked, but we are not sure that accuracy was the reason for the anatomically accurate depiction. We are not sure what the purpose of this small statuette was. Louvre Museum (Paris).

This Ancient Egyptian statue, showing a child, comes from 6th Dynasty in the Old Kingdom (2345-2181 BC). It is 14.20 centimeters (cm) in height. It is interesting because it is the oldest stand-alone artistic representation of a child, in this case a boy, that we have yet found. We have found earlier clay depictions with parents done in the same style. But this is the earlies singular depiction. We have found nothing similar in Mesopotamia or even less elaborate depictions of children. Nesopotamis was the earliest cradle of civilization. Nor have we found child images from the other two great river calley civilizations (India and China). Unfortunately as the boy was depicted naked, the statuette does not provide any clothing details. Children in the Old Kingdom commonly went naked, but we are not sure that accuracy was the reason for this or the anatomically precise depiction. We do see hair style. The hairstyle is interesting. Egyptian boys are usually shown with shaved hair and only a hair lock. This may mean that the chair lock was a later stylistic innovation. We are not sure what the purpose of this small statuette was. This is a little ivory statue. Being made from ivory rather than clay means that it was a valuable item at the time, owned by a person of means. It is an unusual object. Usually children are depicted with their parents. This is the case for millenia. It is unusual also the accurate depiction of genitals. The nudity and the finger in the mouth are childhood marks. Nobody knows the use of this statuette. In part because its origins are unknown. The Museum bought the statuette in 1852 with a private collection (Dr. Clot). It presunably was an artifact unearhged by a tomb robber. .