Hilary Wilson on… The sidelock of youth

Egyptian artists worked within a canon of representation that stylised, idealised, and emphasised particular traits of the human form. This is apparent in the composition of Old Kingdom statue groups, where a wife is shown on a smaller scale than her husband, and their children smaller still. Where colour remains, male figures appear deeply tanned with red-brown skin, while females have lighter complexions of a pinkish or yellowish tone. Their clothing is shown as pristine, and their coiffures are perfect in every curl or braid. Prepubescent sons and daughters appear as miniature adults, but identified as children by their nakedness, by the finger raised to their lips, and by their lack of h