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Headrest

Middle Kingdom

ca. 2030–1802 B.C.

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 106

Headrests were used by ancient Egyptians to support a person's neck while sleeping. While the flat base board and curved top are consistent features, the form of the middle section varied. This type with six slender rods supporting the curved top is fairly rare. More common were single column-like supports between base and top.

Headrest, Wood — Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

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Title: Headrest

Period: Middle Kingdom

Dynasty: Late Dynasty 11 - Dynasty 12

Date: ca. 2030–1802 B.C.

Geography: From Egypt, Upper Egypt, Thebes, Asasif, Tomb MMA 816, pit, MMA excavations, 1929–30

Medium: Wood

Dimensions: H. 8 3/4 in. (22.2 cm), W. 9 in. (22.9 cm)

Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1931

Accession Number: 31.3.12

Chronology

Egypt, 2000-1000 B.C.

Chronology

Egypt, 8000-2000 B.C.

The Scepter of Egypt: A Background for the Study of the Egyptian Antiquities in The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Vol. 1, From the Earliest Times to the End of the Middle Kingdom

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 24, no. 4 (December, 1965)

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Egyptian Art at The Met

The Met's collection of ancient Egyptian art consists of approximately 26,000 objects of artistic, historical, and cultural importance, dating from the Paleolithic to the Roman period.

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Headrest

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Egypt, 2000-1000 B.C.

Egypt, 8000-2000 B.C.

Museum Publications

The Scepter of Egypt: A Background for the Study of the Egyptian Antiquities in The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Vol. 1, From the Earliest Times to the End of the Middle Kingdom

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 24, no. 4 (December, 1965)

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Visiting Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion?

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Headrest

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