Images of the fertility of the Nile were popular in Coptic Egyptian art. Here, playful putti ride a crocodile and swim among abundant fish, birds, and lotus flowers.
This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.
Open Access
As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.
API
Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.
This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.
Artwork Details
Use your arrow keys to navigate the tabs below, and your tab key to choose an item
Title:Square with Putti in a Nilotic Landscape
Date:4th–5th century
Geography:Attributed to Egypt, Akhmim (former Panopolis)
Medium:Linen, wool; plain weave, tapestry weave
Dimensions:Max. H. 6 7/8 in. (17.5 cm) Max. W. 5 1/2 in. (14 cm)
Classification:Textiles
Credit Line:Gift of George F. Baker, 1890
Object Number:90.5.825
Square with Putti in a Nilotic Landscape
Two putti, one astride what may be a hippopotamus and holding a rodlike bouquet derived from pharaonic precursors, play in a beautifully colored and shaded Nilotic environment of fish, ducks, and lotus. In the entourage of the river god Nilos, himself often linked with Dionysos, young boys symbolized the levels of the Nile inundation and, therefore, fertility and prosperity.
[Stauffer 1995]
Emil Brugsch-Bey, Cairo (until 1890; sold to Baker); George F. Baker, New York (1890; gifted to MMA)
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Textiles of Late Antiquity," December 14, 1995–April 7, 1996, no. 12.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Panopolis and Classical Themes," November 1, 2000–December 1, 2001.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Panopolis and Classical Themes," December 6, 2005–September 24, 2008.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Selections from the George F. Baker Gift, 1890," June 13, 2011–August 5, 2012.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Coptic Textiles, Milton Avery and Dikran Kelekian," August 11, 2014–September 7, 2015.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "The Good Life: Collecting Late Antique Art at The Met," May 24, 2021–May 7, 2023.
Stauffer, Annmarie. Textiles of Late Antiquity. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1995. no. 12, pp. 34, 44, ill. p. 34 (color).
The Met's Libraries and Research Centers provide unparalleled resources for research and welcome an international community of students and scholars.
The Met Collection API is where all makers, creators, researchers, and dreamers can connect to the most up-to-date data and public domain images for The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.
The Met's collection of Islamic art is one of the most comprehensive in the world and ranges in date from the seventh to the twenty-first century. Its more than 15,000 objects reflect the great diversity and range of the cultural traditions from Spain to Indonesia.