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Unknown Maker, Egyptian

Figure of a woman
Now On View

Maker

Unknown Maker, Egyptian

Culture

Egyptian

Title

Figure of a woman

Period

Predynastic Period, late Naqada I-early Naqada II

Year

3700-3450 BCE

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Materials

terracotta

Geography

Archaeological Site: Abydus

Dimensions

Height: 17 cm (6 11/16 inches)

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Helen M. Danforth Acquisition Fund and gift of friends and colleagues in honor of Florence Dunn Friedman

Object Number

2000.82

Type

Publications

Exhibition History

Ancient Egyptian Galleries
Jun 10, 2014

Label copy

This early clay figure, dating to the Predynastic period, likely depicts a servant. Her abbreviated legs may have been mounted on a base with other similar figures, creating a procession scene.

The cavity on top of her head perhaps supported a basket of offerings for the deceased. The natural red color of the clay is retained in her thick curls, differentiating them from her body, which was painted with a light slip.

Believed to serve the deceased in the afterlife, figures like this one became a consistent feature of elite Egyptian burials in subsequent periods.

Image use

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Public Domain This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Unknown Maker, Egyptian
Figure of a woman, 3700-3450 BCE
Terracotta
Height: 17 cm (6 11/16 inches)
Helen M. Danforth Acquisition Fund and gift of friends and colleagues in honor of Florence Dunn Friedman 2000.82

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