lythgoe - an egyptian hippopotamus figure

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An Egyptian Hippopotamus Figure

Author(s): Albert M. LythgoeReviewed work(s):Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, Vol. 12, No. 4 (Apr., 1917), pp. 77-78Published by: The Metropolitan Museum of ArtStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3253616 .

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BULLETIN OF THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ARTULLETIN OF THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ARTAN EGYPTIAN HIPPOPOTAMUSFIGURE

T HE Museumhas justreceivedas a giftfrom Edward S. Harkness a blue-glazedfigureof a hippopotamuswhich is a par-ticularlyfine exampleof a type found, incommonwith variousother animalforms,among the funeraryfurnishingsof tombsof the MiddleKingdom. Thefigurerepre-sents the animal as standingand measures20 cm. in lengthand i icm. in height. It isof the materialwhich is generallybut in-exactlytermedEgyptian aience-a potterybaseconsistingof a fine white frit, coveredwith a thick vitreousglaze. The glaze ishere a brilliantblue in color, which hasbecomea greenishblue in placesfromtheactionof the heat in the firing. With theidea of representinghe animalin his nat-ural surroundings mong the lowlandsofthe Nile, the figure is covered with adecoration n black line of lotus flowers,buds,andleaves. Ona similar igure ntheCairoMuseumthe thought is carriedstillfurtherand butterfliesand birds are de-pictedflying amongthe reeds and flowersof the marshes.The hippopotamus,ike the crocodile, sno longer o be foundin Egyptproper,buthas now retired o the upperwatersof theNile in the SudanandtropicalAfrica. Inancienttimes, however,they were presentin the lower reachesof the river in con-siderablenumbers,and amongthe favoritescenesof sportdepictedon the wallsof thetomb-chambersof the nobles and highdignitaries, he hippopotamus unt figuresprominently, articularlyn the timeof theOld Kingdom.It is in the tombsof the MiddleKingdomthatthesescenes,coveringmanysidesof thedaily life and religiousbelief of the Egyp-tians, were supplementedby groups andseriesof figures,in the provisionfor thedead. By somepowerof magicthey wereto ensure n the future ifethe continuationof his earthly activities and pleasures.Many of these groups are sculpturedinwood and painted,and representa greatvariety of occupations. Excellent ex-amplesof these are to be seenin ourSixthEgyptianRoom.

AN EGYPTIAN HIPPOPOTAMUSFIGURET HE Museumhas justreceivedas a gift

from Edward S. Harkness a blue-glazedfigureof a hippopotamuswhich is a par-ticularlyfine exampleof a type found, incommonwith variousother animalforms,among the funeraryfurnishingsof tombsof the MiddleKingdom. Thefigurerepre-sents the animal as standingand measures20 cm. in lengthand i icm. in height. It isof the materialwhich is generallybut in-exactlytermedEgyptian aience-a potterybaseconsistingof a fine white frit, coveredwith a thick vitreousglaze. The glaze ishere a brilliantblue in color, which hasbecomea greenishblue in placesfromtheactionof the heat in the firing. With theidea of representinghe animalin his nat-ural surroundings mong the lowlandsofthe Nile, the figure is covered with adecoration n black line of lotus flowers,buds,andleaves. Ona similar igure ntheCairoMuseumthe thought is carriedstillfurtherand butterfliesand birds are de-pictedflying amongthe reeds and flowersof the marshes.The hippopotamus,ike the crocodile, sno longer o be foundin Egyptproper,buthas now retired o the upperwatersof theNile in the SudanandtropicalAfrica. Inancienttimes, however,they were presentin the lower reachesof the river in con-siderablenumbers,and amongthe favoritescenesof sportdepictedon the wallsof thetomb-chambersof the nobles and highdignitaries, he hippopotamus unt figuresprominently, articularlyn the timeof theOld Kingdom.It is in the tombsof the MiddleKingdomthatthesescenes,coveringmanysidesof thedaily life and religiousbelief of the Egyp-tians, were supplementedby groups andseriesof figures,in the provisionfor thedead. By somepowerof magicthey wereto ensure n the future ifethe continuationof his earthly activities and pleasures.Many of these groups are sculpturedinwood and painted,and representa greatvariety of occupations. Excellent ex-amplesof these are to be seenin ourSixthEgyptianRoom.

Less commonlyin tombs of the sameperiodare found figuresof various typesmade of faience, among them the repre-sentations of various animals, includinghippopotami uch as the presentexample,crocodiles, oxes, apes, and dogs. In theexcavationsconductedby the Museum'sEgyptian Expeditionon the cemeteriesofthe MiddleKingdom t Lishta considerablenumberof theseglazedanimal igureshavebeen foundwhichare nowon exhibition nthe EighthEgyptianRoom.The figurewhichhas now been acquiredby the Museumthroughthe generosityofMr. Harkness,was found, together witha similar igureof somewhat maller ize, inMay, 1910io,n the tomb of "The Steward,Senbi,"at Meir,UpperEgypt, in excava-tions conductedby Said Bey Khashabaunder the supervisionof the EgyptianGovernment.' Amongotherobjects oundin the tombat the sametime, the Museumacquired in I911 a wooden portraitstatuetteof Senbi anda Canopic-box, othinscribedwith his nameand titles, nowex-hibited in ourSixthEgyptianRoom.2 Aninscribedalabasterhead-rest,3which be-longedto a "StewardSenbi,"was acquiredthe followingyear andis now shown n thesame room. It may have come fromthistombalso.From evidenceyielded by the excava-tions at Meir,we knowthat the son of acontemporaryof Senbi lived during thereign of Amenemhet II (1938-1903 B. C.).We may conclude, therefore,that Senbilivedaboutthe middleof that centuryandthat all the material rom his tomb,includ-ing our newly acquiredhippopotamusig-ure,maybedatedveryclosely o 1950B.C.A. M. L.

RHYMING LEGENDSONA BAVARIAN "FOOD BOTTLE"THE "food-bottle," per se, is one of themost "intriguing" nd interesting ormsof

pewter. Its very name one writes with'See Reportby Ahmed Bey Kama!, n theAnnalesdu ServicedesAntiquites,XI, p. 17.2AccessionNos. 11.150.27and 11.150.17Arespectively.3Accession No. 12.182.19.

Less commonlyin tombs of the sameperiodare found figuresof various typesmade of faience, among them the repre-sentations of various animals, includinghippopotami uch as the presentexample,crocodiles, oxes, apes, and dogs. In theexcavationsconductedby the Museum'sEgyptian Expeditionon the cemeteriesofthe MiddleKingdom t Lishta considerablenumberof theseglazedanimal igureshavebeen foundwhichare nowon exhibition nthe EighthEgyptianRoom.The figurewhichhas now been acquiredby the Museumthroughthe generosityofMr. Harkness,was found, together witha similar igureof somewhat maller ize, inMay, 1910io,n the tomb of "The Steward,Senbi,"at Meir,UpperEgypt, in excava-tions conductedby Said Bey Khashabaunder the supervisionof the EgyptianGovernment.' Amongotherobjects oundin the tombat the sametime, the Museumacquired in I911 a wooden portraitstatuetteof Senbi anda Canopic-box, othinscribedwith his nameand titles, nowex-hibited in ourSixthEgyptianRoom.2 Aninscribedalabasterhead-rest,3which be-longedto a "StewardSenbi,"was acquiredthe followingyear andis now shown n thesame room. It may have come fromthistombalso.From evidenceyielded by the excava-tions at Meir,we knowthat the son of acontemporaryof Senbi lived during thereign of Amenemhet II (1938-1903 B. C.).We may conclude, therefore,that Senbilivedaboutthe middleof that centuryandthat all the material rom his tomb,includ-ing our newly acquiredhippopotamusig-ure,maybedatedveryclosely o 1950B.C.A. M. L.

RHYMING LEGENDSONA BAVARIAN "FOOD BOTTLE"THE "food-bottle," per se, is one of themost "intriguing" nd interesting ormsof

pewter. Its very name one writes with'See Reportby Ahmed Bey Kama!, n theAnnalesdu ServicedesAntiquites,XI, p. 17.2AccessionNos. 11.150.27and 11.150.17Arespectively.3Accession No. 12.182.19.788


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BULLETIN O FT H E METROPOLITANUSEUM

O F A R TVOLUMEXII NEW YORK, APRIL, 1917 NUMBER4

SSE^y-l I? i-- 1

HIPPOPOTAMUS OF BLUE FAIENCEXII DYNASTY

PUBLISHED MONTHLY PRICE TEN CENTS

lythgoe - an egyptian hippopotamus figure

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