Cosmetic Vessel in the Shape of a Dwarf

New Kingdom, Amarna Period

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 121

The twisting motion of the dwarf carrying a heavy storage jar on his shoulder defies the usual rigid frontality of Egyptian statuary, making this a true piece of sculpture in the round. Such an artistic liberty was acceptable for whimsical representations of anonymous servants but never would have been allowed in formal sculpture, even in the more expressive art of the Amarna period.

Cosmetic Vessel in the Shape of a Dwarf, Travertine (Egyptian alabaster) (?)

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