The pair statue was a form of ancient Egyptian sculpture that appears to have originated during the Third Dynasty, at the beginning of the Old Kingdom. In these statues, two individuals are represented sitting next to each other, usually on a bench, in order to create a physical manifestation of their spiritual and emotional bond. Often, these are husbands and wives, but not always; there are also depictions of other relationships such as parents and children. They were placed in tombs as locations for the souls to rest, and for offerings to be left beside.

This artwork shows a man and a woman seated on a bench. The woman is on the left, which is unusual but can be seen in some other examples. Both figures wear wigs, although the woman’s is wider and more triangular than the man’s. The woman wears a dress with a band of green around her waist, and a green stripe going down the centre of her skirt which is inscribed with symbols. The man’s skirt also has a stripe down the middle, painted a darker green and also inscribed. The folds and lines of their clothing are marked with intricate carved lines. They both wear differently patterned broad collars, a type of necklace which is associated with the elite. Details of their eyes have been picked out with black paint. There are also vertical lines of symbols on the back of the bench, and between their feet on the platform which forms the base there is an ankh, a hieroglyphic symbol meaning ‘life’. Often, pair sculptures show the couple with their arms passing around each other’s backs. Here, the man has both hands resting on his knees, and the left arm of the woman is slightly ambiguous in its positioning; it could be intended to be touching her companion, but the carving is very shallow and it is difficult to tell. The man is also holding something in his left hand. It may be a piece of cloth, as this is seen in other examples of pair statues, and has been interpreted as a possible representation of the figure accepting offerings.