Head from a Bes Jar
This fragment was once part of a jar that, based on other examples, depicted a squatting Bes-image. Although broken, this one still communicates the quality of the original jar in the pale blue faience with dark purple-blue highlights that make the beard curls, eyebrows, and eyes stand out. Skilled artisans produced this piece, probably for a member of the elite, either for their personal use—the Bes-image was a protective god—or as a gift to a temple.
Artwork Details
- Title:Head from a Bes Jar
- Period:Late Period–Ptolemaic Period
- Date:ca. 664–30 B.C.
- Geography:From Egypt
- Medium:Faience
- Dimensions:H. 5.4 × W. 5.2 × D. 3.1 cm (2 1/8 × 2 1/16 × 1 1/4 in.)
- Credit Line:Bequest of Nanette B. Kelekian, 2020
- Object Number:2021.41.40
- Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art
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4th century B.C.
360–343 BCE
ca. 872–664 BCE
664–525 BCE
332–30 BCE
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