ticketsMember | Make a donation

Statue of a scribe with a baboon

New Kingdom, Ramesside Period
ca. 1295–1070 BCE
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 899
This small figure of a scribe may lack the sculptural quality of the Museum's statue of Haremhab 23.10.1, but it does also emphasize the close relation of the depicted official with the god Thoth, deity of all things scribal. While the god features in the Haremhab statue prominently in the inscriptions, Thoth is here shown as a baboon who sits on the scribe's back. The most important example of this motif is the statue representing the 20th dynasty High Priest of Amun Ramessesnakht in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo (CG 41262), found in the "Cachette" of the temple of Karnak.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Statue of a scribe with a baboon
  • Period: New Kingdom, Ramesside Period
  • Dynasty: Dynasty 19–20
  • Date: ca. 1295–1070 BCE
  • Geography: From Egypt
  • Medium: Granodiorite
  • Dimensions: H. 22.3 × W. 13.2 × D. 15 cm, 5.4 kg (8 3/4 × 5 3/16 × 5 7/8 in., 12 lb.)
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1929
  • Object Number: 29.2.16
  • Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Haremhab as a Scribe of the King, Granodiorite
Haremhab as a Scribe of the King
ca. 1336–1323 B.C.
Male god, Granodiorite
Male god
ca. 1390–1352 B.C.
Statue of the Goddess Sakhmet, Granodiorite
Statue of the Goddess Sakhmet
ca. 1390–1352 B.C.
Statuette of Kary carrying a standard of Horus, Wood
Statuette of Kary carrying a standard of Horus
ca. 1304–1237 BCE
Statue of two men and a boy that served as a domestic icon, Limestone, paint
Statue of two men and a boy that served as a domestic icon
ca. 1353–1336 B.C.

Related Content

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

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.