Tickets
English
DonateMembershipTickets

God's Wife Tagerem, daughter of the priest Imhotep

Ptolemaic Period
300–250 BCE
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 134
The priestess Tagerem was God's Wife of the god Re in Sakhebu in the southwestern Delta, a temple functionary of special order, intimate of the god. The statue embodies the perfected ideal of the female form attained in the early part of the Egyptian Ptolemaic period (approximately 300-250 B.C.): demure in its composure and yet alluring.

A recent study (Panov 2018) notes that the possibilities grew in the Late Period for women to record elements of their own biographies on stelae and statues. While men's biographies deal with their careers, women's deal with their families and religious roles. Frequently employed epithets sugest the ideal woman was amiable, both well-spoken and useful in what she says, beautiful, and kind toward others.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: God's Wife Tagerem, daughter of the priest Imhotep
  • Period: Ptolemaic Period
  • Dynasty: Ptolemaic Dynasty
  • Date: 300–250 BCE
  • Geography: From Egypt, Western Delta, Sakhebu
  • Medium: Limestone
  • Dimensions: H. 42 cm (16 1/2 in)
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Liana Weindling Gift, in memory of her mother, 2010
  • Object Number: 2010.18
  • Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Biconical alabastron with zones of bichrome decoration including floral elements, dancers, and Bes-like figures, Faience
Biconical alabastron with zones of bichrome decoration including floral elements, dancers, and Bes-like figures
332–30 BCE
Head of King David, Limestone, light fine-grained, French
Head of King David
French
ca. 1145
Inlay of the Horus falcon on the hieroglyph for "gold", Faience
Inlay of the Horus falcon on the hieroglyph for "gold"
360–343 BCE
Bowl with flutes f rom shoulder to rosette at base, silver
Bowl with flutes f rom shoulder to rosette at base
4th century BCE
Virgin and Child, Claus de Werve Netherlandish, Limestone with paint and gilding, French
Virgin and Child
Attributed to Claus de Werve
ca. 1415–17

Related Content

Timeline of Art History

Entries and chronologies from The Met's art encyclopedia.

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 contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.