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Figurine of an Asiatic Woman

Middle Kingdom

Not on view

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.

This cloaked and booted woman wears her hair in a style known from earlier Mesopotamian female representations. Women with such hairdos appear in Middle Kingdom Egyptian tombs participating in a festival for Hathor, goddess of love and mistress of foreign lands. The hairstyle may add Hathoric associations to this depiction of an Asiatic foreigner. The wood carver added realistic touches by having the woman carry an infant on her back and endowing her with impressively personalized facial features.

Figurine of an Asiatic Woman, Wood, paint

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Figurine of an Asiatic Woman, Wood, paint
Figurine of an Asiatic Woman, Wood, paint

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