Standing Hippopotamus
Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art
On View: Old Kingdom to 18th Dynasty, Egyptian Galleries, 3rd Floor
Egyptian artists decorated statuettes of hippos with images of Nile flora and fauna. Common motifs included lotus buds, flowers, marsh grass, lily pads, frogs, waterfowl, and insects. The legs of most statuettes were broken just before burial to ensure that they posed no threat to the tomb owner. Museum conservators restored the legs of many examples, including this one, to show how the statuettes looked when they were made.
MEDIUM
Faience
DATES
ca. 1938–1539 B.C.E.
DYNASTY
Dynasty 12 to Dynasty 17
PERIOD
Middle Kingdom to Second Intermediate Period
ACCESSION NUMBER
L48.7.19
CREDIT LINE
Anonymous loan
CAPTION
Standing Hippopotamus, ca. 1938–1539 B.C.E. Faience, 4 1/4 x 6 9/16 in. (10.8 x 16.7 cm). Anonymous loan, L48.7.19. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, L48.7.19_transp5519.jpg)
IMAGE
overall, L48.7.19_transp5519.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph
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RIGHTS STATEMENT
Creative Commons-BY
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