Page:A History of Art in Ancient Egypt Vol 2.djvu/232

 204 A History of Art in Ancient Egypt. Ra-nefer. The Egyptians shaved their heads from motives of cleanHness. The priests were compelled to do so by the rules of their religion, which made purity of person even more imperative 'jpon them than upon the laymen. It was necessary, however, that the head should be thoroughly protected from the sun, hence the wig. The shaved Mohammedans of our day replace the periwig with the turban. Fig. i8i. — Ra-nefer. Boulak. Drawn by Bourgoin. One wooden statue at Boulak offers a variety of costume which is at present unique among the remains of Egyptian civilization. It is, unfortunately, in very bad preservation. It represents a man, standing, and draped in an ample robe which covers him folds which are tlnis obtained are found, as vc shall see, in the drapery of Greek statues of the archaic period.