Figurine of a Seated Woman
Late Naqada II–possibly early Naqada III
Representations of men and women in formal poses but executed in an abbreviated style are among the earliest examples of Egyptian sculpture. These figurines were mostly made from unbaked clay, pottery, bone, or ivory. Details, such as body hair, clothing, and tattoos, were incised into or painted onto their surfaces. This decoration emphasized elements of a figure’s gender or the possible function of the object. Figurines are very rare in this early period and because we do not know the detailed provenience of many examples, scholars must infer how such figurines were used by the Predynastic people that created them.
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