Statuette of a Nude Woman
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.This object is not part of The Met collection. It was in the Museum for a special exhibition and has been returned to the lender.
Nude female figurines carved in ivory are rare, as this precious, symbolic material was generally reserved for depictions of the king’s entourage or family. The base, now broken, was probably set into a pedestal that was perhaps inscribed with the name of the deceased woman. It is also possible that the statuette was placed near the mummy of a male owner to evoke the symbolic "feminine principle" necessary for rebirth.
Nude female figurines carved in ivory are rare, as this precious, symbolic material was generally reserved for depictions of the king’s entourage or family. The base, now broken, was probably set into a pedestal that was perhaps inscribed with the name of the deceased woman. It is also possible that the statuette was placed near the mummy of a male owner to evoke the symbolic "feminine principle" necessary for rebirth.
Artwork Details
- Title: Statuette of a Nude Woman
- Period: Middle Kingdom
- Dynasty: Dynasty 12
- Date: 1981-1802 BC
- Medium: Ivory
- Dimensions: 4 1/4 × 1 1/16 × 13/16 in. (10.8 × 2.7 × 2.1 cm)
- Credit Line: Paris, Louvre Museum, Departement des Antiquités égyptiennes
- Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art