Female figure with raised arms

Female figure with raised arms

Female figurines of this type, made from Nile silt, are among the oldest sculptures in Egyptian art. Their form is extremely schematised, and their heads tend to resemble that of a bird. The arms are raised beside the head with the palms of the hands turned to face inward, and the upper part of the body leans forward slightly. At the bottom of the legs is the hint of a foot. Their function in a tomb is not immediately apparent; are they bird-headed deities, fertility goddesses, concubines for the deceased, mourners, or even dancers?

Present location KMKG - MRAH [07/003] BRUSSELS

Inventory number E.3006

Dating NAQADA II

Archaeological Site UNKNOWN

Category HUMAN FIGURINE

Material SILTSTONE

Technique FORMED BY HAND; PAINTED

Height 23.7 cm

Width 15.1 cm

Bibliography•F. Lefebvre et B. Van Rinsveld, L'Égypte. Des Pharaons aux Coptes, Bruxelles 1990, 20

•S. Hendrickx, Prehistorische en vroegdynastische oudheden uit Egypte - Antiquités préhistoriques et protodynastiques d'Égypte, Bruxelles 1994, 26-27

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