Kneeling statue with sistrum (sistrophore) of Senenmut, high steward of Amun, steward of Amun, overseer of the double granaries of Amun, treasurer of Amun, high steward of the King, Privy Councillor of the Imy-wer phyle , Privy Councillor in the temples, overseer of the temples of Neith and overseer of the fields of Amun

Accession number
ÄS 6265

Current Location
Gallery "Art and Time"

About the object
The granite statue shows the high-ranking official Senenmut as a so-called sistrophor. Senenmut kneels on a pedestal and holds a sistrum in front of his body with both hands - a rattle instrument that was used, among other things, in the cult of various goddesses. The cult instrument is elaborately designed: It consists of a Hathor head with a strand wig and cow ears over a knot amulet. Above it rises an architectural framing with stylized cow horn. A cryptogram of the throne name of Queen Hatshepsut (Maat-ka-Re) is represented in a central niche. The Sistrum thus refers at the same time to the goddess Hathor and to the queen, in whose service Senenmut spent his ca

The person depicted wears a long wig and a short chin beard. The face is idealized, but has individual design features that are also encountered on other portraits of Senenmut. The finely modeled, youthful face is contrasted with a strong, full upper body. This body design corresponds to the ancient Egyptian ideal image of a high-ranking dignitary.

Senenmut came from simple circumstances in Iuni, today's Armant. Under Hatshepsut, he achieved an extraordinary social advancement. He held numerous high offices, including that of the queen's courtmaster and the educator of her daughter Neferure. As a senior official, he was involved in several royal construction projects, including the terraced temple of Hatshepsut in Deir el-Bahari. His inscriptions mention more than 80 titles. With about 25 surviving statues, Senenmut is represented more often than any other known non-royal personality of the New Kingdom.

His close connection to the royal workshops may also have favored the development of new statue types. Several unusual forms of images appear for the first time on his monuments. The sistrophore is one of those types that subsequently found its way into the repertoire of Egyptian circular sculpture and were used until the late period. The statue thus illustrates not only Senenmut's outstanding position at the royal court, but also the innovative power of sculptural art under Hatshepsut.

At a time that is not exactly known today, Senenmut disappears from the written sources. Many of his monuments were later damaged or their inscriptions were erased. It can be assumed that Senenmut fell out of grace with Hatschepsut, but so far only speculation can be given about the reasons for this.
(Arnulf Schlüter)

Inscription
Hieroglyphs

Date
c. 1479–1458 BC, Hatshepsut, 18th Dynasty, New Kingdom, Egypt (Inscription)

Material
Granite

Dimensions
Height x Width x Depth: 40.0 x 12.0 x 25.0 cm

Geographic Origin
Bibliographic reference: Armant, Upper Egypt, Egypt

Provenance
seit 1976, Institution: Staatliches Museum Ägyptischer Kunst
1976, Auction / Dealer: Maspero, Paris
Auction / Dealer: Établissement Archéologique, Vaduz, Liechtenstein

Individuals / Institution
Staatliches Museum Ägyptischer Kunst

References
Persons and Names of the Middle Kingdom and early New Kingdom, Version 6 [accessed July 4, 2025] [Copyright 2024 Alexander Ilin-Tomich]
Konrad, Kirsten, Der Sistrophor. Zur Genese, bedeutung und Funktion eines theophoren Statuentypus der altägyptischen Privatplastik, Berlin 2026, cf. Kat. D18-3, 72- 77, 674.
Dahms, Jan-Michael, Exkurs. Senenmut. Erzieher der Königstochter Neferure, in: Flossmann-Schütze, Mélanie / Schlüter, Arnulf unter Mitarbeit von Perrot, Anne-Hélène / Kutschka, Markus (Hg.), Kindheit am Nil. Aufwachsen im Alten Ägypten, München 2025, 90-91, cf. 90-91 mit Abb. 1.
Bicker, Roxane, Kulturgeschichte. Margaret Benson. Ausgrabungen in Karnak, in: MAAT. Nachrichten aus dem Staatlichen Museum Ägyptischer Kunst München 30, 2024, 64–71, cf. Abb. 6 S. 68.
Wildung, Dietrich, Avantgarde. Drei innovative Statuentypen im SMÄK, in: MAAT. Nachrichten aus dem Staatlichen Museum Ägyptischer Kunst München 24, 2022, 29–31, cf. 30 mit Abb. 2.
Böckler, Nadja, Altägyptische Kryptographie. Verborgene Inhalte hinter den Zeichen, in: MAAT. Nachrichten aus dem Staatlichen Museum Ägyptischer Kunst München 25, 2022, 33–39, cf. 36-37 mit Abb. 5.
Willeitner, Joachim, Die Münchner Priesterstatue aus Achmim. Ein Umgearbeitetes Bildwerk der Späten 18. Dynastie, in: MAAT. Nachrichten aus dem Staatlichen Museum Ägyptischer Kunst München 21, 2021, 26–35, cf. 33-34 mit Abb. 12b.
Flossmann-Schütze, Mélanie, Statue - Titel - Platz in der Gesellschaft! Das Publikationsprojekt "Inschriften auf Statuen": ein Zwischenbericht, in: MAAT. Nachrichten aus dem Staatlichen Museum Ägyptischer Kunst München 21, 2021, 13–20, cf. 15-16 mit Abb. 5, 17, 18.
Schoske, Sylvia / Wildung, Dietrich, Munich quality. Zur Erwerbungsphilosophie des Museums, in: MAAT. Nachrichten aus dem Staatlichen Museum Ägyptischer Kunst München 16, 2020, 25–31, cf. 25-26 mit Abb. 1.
Wildung, Dietrich, Zerstört. Getilgt, in: MAAT. Nachrichten aus dem Staatlichen Museum Ägyptischer Kunst München 12, 2019, 48–52, cf.
Selim, Hassan, A Fragment of the Hathor-head naos sistrum from a sistrophorous statue of Senenmut from Karnak, in: Coulon, Laurent (Hg.), La Cachette de Karnak: nouvelles perspectives sur les découvertes de Georges Legrain. Bibliothèque d'étude (BdE) 161, Kairo 2016, 249–254, cf. 250-251, Kat.-Nr. 5.
Loeben, Christian E., Un nouveau musée Égyptien à Munich, in: Égypte, Afrique & Orient 73, 2014, 49–56, cf.
Schoske, Sylvia / Wildung, Dietrich, Persönlichkeiten: Bildnisskulptur der Nachamarnazeit, Aegyptiaca Monacensia 1, Wien 2013, cf. 17, Abb. 14.
Schoske, Sylvia / Wildung, Dietrich, Das Münchner Buch der Ägyptischen Kunst, München 2013, cf. 90-91 mit Abb. 71-72.
Bernhauer, Edith, Innovationen in der Privatplastik: die 18. Dynastie und ihre Entwicklung, Philippika 27, Wiesbaden 2010, cf. Tf. 10, Kat.-Nr. 3.3-57.
Wildung, Dietrich / Schoske, Sylvia, Last Exit Munich - Altägyptische Meisterwerke aus Berlin, München 2009, cf. 28 mit Abb., 31, Kat.-Nr. 17.
Schoske, Sylvia, Fest gemauert in der Erden. Grundsteinbeigaben im alten Ägypten, München 2007-2008, cf. 28-29 mit Abb., Kat.-Nr. 37.
Roehrig, Catharine H. / Dreyfus, Renée / Keller, Catherine A. (Hg.), Hatshepsut: from Queen to Pharaoh, New York 2005, cf. Kat.-Nr. 68.
Grimm, Alfred / Schoske, Sylvia, Hatschepsut - KönigIN Ägyptens, Schriften aus der Ägyptischen Sammlung (SAS) 8, München 1999, cf. 55 mit Abb., Kat.-Nr. 10.
Schoske, Sylvia (Hg.), Staatliche Sammlung Ägyptischer Kunst München, Zaberns Bildbände zur Archäologie, Mainz am Rhein 1995, cf. 6, Abb. S. 7, Kat.-Nr. 2.
Helck, Wolfgang, Historisch-biographische Texte der 2. Zwischenzeit und neue Texte der 18. Dynastie: Nachträge, Kleine ägyptische Texte 6/2, Wiesbaden 1995, cf. 35-36, Kat.-Nr. 11.
Schoske, Sylvia, Egyptian art in Munich, München 1993, cf. 26 mit Abb., Kat.-Nr. 21.
Wildung, Dietrich, Die Kunst des Alten Ägypten, Freiburg 1988, cf. 157.
Dorman, Peter, The monuments of Senenmut: problems in historical methodology, London 1988, cf. 127-128, 151, 194-195, Tf. 20, Kat.-Nr. A 17.
Schulman, Alan R. , The ubiquitous Senenmut, in: Bulletin of the Egyptological Seminar (BES) 9, 1987-1988, 61-81, cf. 61-81.
Wildung, Dietrich, 1985. Berichte der Staatlichen Kunstsammlungen. Neuerwerbungen. Staatliche Sammlung Ägyptischer Kunst, in: Münchner Jahrbuch der bildenden Kunst (MJbK) 36, 1985, 17-38, cf. 20, 24 mit Abb. 10, 37 mit Anm. 23.
Schoske, Sylvia / Wildung, Dietrich, Ägyptische Kunst München. Katalog-Handbuch zur Staatlichen Sammlung Ägyptischer Kunst München, München 1985, cf. 48-52 mit Abb., Kat.-Nr. 32.
Meyer, Christine, Senenmut. Eine prosopographische Untersuchung. Dissertation, Hamburger Ägyptologische Studien (HÄS) 2, Hamburg 1982, cf. 50, 219-222, 332-333, Tf. 7.
Wildung, Dietrich, Fünf Jahre. Neuerwerbungen der Staatlichen Sammlung Ägyptischer Kunst München 1976-1980, Mainz am Rhein 1980, cf. 18-19 mit Abb..
Wildung, Dietrich, 1977. Berichte der Staatlichen Kunstsammlungen. Neuerwerbungen. Staatliche Sammlung Ägyptischer Kunst, in: Münchner Jahrbuch der bildenden Kunst (MJbK) 28, 1977, 219-224, cf. 220-222 mit Abb. 2.
Bothmer, Bernard V., More statues of Senenmut, in: The Brooklyn Museum Annual 11, 1969-1970, 125-147, cf. 126, 134-139, Abb. 6-8.

Further information
https://pnm.uni-mainz.de/inscription/11750

Credits
Datensatz: SMÄK, letzte Bearbeitende (chronologisch): Anne-Hélène Perrot, Mélanie Flossmann; Bibliografie: Anne-Hélène Perrot, Mélanie Flossmann.

Last change
24.08.2026, 13:11

[Do you have any information on this object](mailto:sammlung.online@smaek.de?subject=Kneeling%20statue%20with%20sistrum%20(sistrophore)%20of%20Senenmut,%20high%20steward%20of%20Amun,%20steward%20of%20Amun,%20%20overseer%20of%20the%20double%20granaries%20of%20Amun,%20treasurer%20of%20Amun,%20high%20steward%20of%20the%20King,%20Privy%20Councillor%20of%20the%20Imy-wer%20phyle%20,%20Privy%20Councillor%20in%20the%20temples,%20overseer%20of%20the%20temples%20of%20Neith%20and%20overseer%20of%20the%20fields%20of%20Amun,Kneeling%20Statue%20(Statuary%20/%20Statue)%20&body=https%3A%2F%2Fsammlung.smaek.de%2Fen%2Fobject%2Fkneeling-statue-statuary-statue-525%3Fsort%3Dfield%3DsortInv%2526order%3Dasc%2526type%3Dtext%26offset%3D628)

Țitle
Kneeling statue with sistrum (sistrophore) of Senenmut, high steward of Amun, steward of Amun, overseer of the double granaries of Amun, treasurer of Amun, high steward of the King, Privy Councillor of the Imy-wer phyle , Privy Councillor in the temples, overseer of the temples of Neith and overseer of the fields of Amun, c. 1479–1458 BC, Hatshepsut 18th Dynasty New Kingdom, Findspot: Bibliographic reference: Armant, Upper Egypt, Granite, Staatliches Museum Ägytischer Kunst

https://sammlung.smaek.de/en/object/kneeling-statue-statuary-statue-525?sort=field=sortInv%26order=asc%26type=text&offset=628

Staatliches Museum Ägytischer Kunst

In general, people seem to view Cleo in a lesser light, partly due to how she's often depicted in media, partly because she died and was essentially the last Egyptian pharaoh. I'd argue her death seems to have overshadowed her brilliance.

Cleo stayed in power for 20 years and had to work around her way through several obstacles. Her first obstacle was her brother, husband and co-regent, Ptolemy XIV. They didn't see eye to eye and, apparently, she had him killed (some argue she didn't, but i wouldn't put it past her). Both alliances with Caesar and Anthony served her well and she had a very quick move once Caesar was killed. She was also well aware her sister Arsinoe IV would be a threat to the throne and persuaded Anthony to kill her. And she and Anthony were actually smart, they had a larger fleet than Octavian and would have won the Battle of Actium if it wasn't for their bad luck: Their crew was untrained and their allies betrayed them out of cowardice and fear.

She was politically bright, had a very strong mind and knew how to get her way through situations others would have failed. She was the only pharaoh in her family to learn the Egyptian language and was able to keep Egypt on a tight leash for 20 years despite threats from Rome, despite inner power struggles within her family, she forged alliances, lost allies along the way and still worked her way through never ending obstacles.

While it is a difficult task of rating pharaohs and i'm not really suggesting we should rank pharaohs, but just to acknowledge her many feats. She was not incompetent or just a seductive woman, Cleopatra VII was a political genius in her own right and arguably one of the most sucessful pharaohs even if we consider her brutal defeat at the hands of Rome.

Magical Horus-stela with hole for hanging

Accession number
ÄS 1252

Current Location
Gallery "Script and Writings"

About the object
Horus steles could be made in different sizes or presented in combination with magical statues. Large-format magical stelae such as the "Metternich" stele (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Inv. No. 50.85), which was created by King Nektanebos (30. Dynasty) could be set up in the temple. Smaller specimens were much more handy and mostly come from the
Non-royal area. ÄS 1252 is a magical stele due to the eyelet, which could also be hung. The front shows the well-known motif of the Harpocrat, who is depicted as the tamer of numerous dangerous animals. All surfaces, including the back, are described with magical texts.
Mélanie Flossmann-Schütze

Inscription
Hieroglyphs

Date
4th Century BC, Late Period – Ptolemaic Period

Material
Calcite Alabaster

Dimensions
Height x Width x Depth: 14.9 x 10.3 x 3.5 cm

Geographic Origin
Unknown

Provenance
seit 1970, Institution: Staatliches Museum Ägyptischer Kunst
1949–1970, Institution: Ägyptische Sammlung des Bayerischen Staates
1945–1949, Institution: Central Collecting Point
1935–1945, Institution: Ägyptologische Sammlung des Staates
1920–1934, Institution: Museum Antiker Kleinkunst
1909–1920, Institution: (neues) Königliches Antiquarium, München
1909, Auction / Dealer: Emanuel Kohn, München

Individuals / Institutions
(neues) Königliches Antiquarium

References
Schlüter, Arnulf, Einfach Zauberhaft. Magische Objekte, in: MAAT. Nachrichten aus dem Staatlichen Museum Ägyptischer Kunst München 20, 2021, 46–55, cf. 51 mit Abb. 7.
Schoske, Sylvia / Grimm, Alfred, isisblut & steinbockhorn - Amulett und Talisman in Altägypten und im Alpenraum, Schriften aus der Ägyptischen Sammlung (SAS) 11, München 2010, cf. 50 mit Abb. 15, 90-91 mit Abb., Kat.-Nr. 22.
Sternberg- El-Hotabi, Heike, Untersuchungen zur Überlieferungsgeschichte der Horusstelen: ein Beitrag zur Religionsgeschichte Ägyptens im 1. Jahrtausend v. Chr. 2 vols, Ägyptologische Abhandlungen (ÄA) 62, Wiesbaden 1999, cf. I: 107, 110 mit Abb. 60, 117, Tf. XIX, II: 69.
Habrich, Christa / Kolta, Kamal Sabri / Schoske, Sylvia, Ein Leib für Leben und Ewigkeit - Medizin im alten Ägypten, Ingolstadt 1985, cf. 45-46 mit Abb., Kat.-Nr. 102.
Müller, Hans Wolfgang / Löhr, Beatrix (Hg.), Staatliche Sammlung Ägyptischer Kunst, München 1976, cf. 190-191, Kat.-Nr. 114.
Müller, Hans Wolfgang / Löhr, Beatrix (Hg.), Staatliche Sammlung Ägyptischer Kunst, München 1972, cf. 110, Kat.-Nr. 98.
Sieveking, Johannes, Archäologischer Anzeiger (AA) Berlin 1910, cf. 478.

Credits
Datensatz: SMÄK, letzte Bearbeitende (chronologisch): Anne-Hélène Perrot, Mélanie Flossmann; Bibliografie: Anne-Hélène Perrot, Mélanie Flossmann.

Last change
02.07.2026, 11:34

[Do you have any information on this object?](mailto:sammlung.online@smaek.de?subject=Magical%20Horus-stela%20with%20hole%20for%20hanging,Stela%20&body=https%3A%2F%2Fsammlung.smaek.de%2Fen%2Fobject%2Fstela-4563%3Fsort%3Dfield%3DsortInv%2526order%3Dasc%2526type%3Dtext%26offset%3D185)

Title
Magical Horus-stela with hole for hanging, 4th Century BC, Late Period – Ptolemaic Period, Findspot unknown Egypt, Calcite Alabaster, Staatliches Museum Ägytischer Kunst

https://sammlung.smaek.de/en/object/stela-4563?sort=field=sortInv%26order=asc%26type=text&offset=185

Staatliches Museum Ägytischer Kunst

Hello! I recently found this figurine at the goodwill in Alexandria, VA where I paid 1.99. I was wondering if anyone had and idea of what it is or is supposed to represent, beyond the “oh it’s a cheap tourist knockoff”. Has a little weight to it, seems to be made of porous rock on the front where the foot is broken. I got it for my little window plant area and I thought it would be fun to tell people I got it from Alexandria, which isn’t entirely a lie haha! Thank you in advance for the help!

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/544008

Statuette of the God Thoth as a Baboon

Object Number
BSAe 1103
Cultural area
Egypt

Epoch
Late Period (Egypt)
Basic information
Steatite, glass and gold, h. 12 cm Late Period, 6th–4th centuries BC BSAe 1103

Provenance
Donation 2007 Novartis AG. Formerly collection Martin Winkler (1893–1982), South Germany.

Description
The hamadryas baboon (Papio hamadryas) was the second animal sacred to Thoth, the god of the moon and of wisdom, the primary one being the ibis (see above). This figurine is remarkable for the finely-worked rendering of the baboon’s fur and for the fact that it was once inlaid with other materials. It is therefore unlikely to have been a simple votive statuette and was probably a cult image in a small shrine. The baboon crouches in characteristic pose on a shield-shaped base, his front paws resting on his knees. His upper body is erect and he gazes straight ahead. His face is dominated by the prominent snout and by the eyes, which are inlaid in red and black glass. His mane falls to his shoulders and his upper body is covered with a mantle of fur. His long tail curves around the right half of his buttocks. His feet and hands are rendered in careful detail, as are his genitals, visible between the splayed hindquarters. His buttocks were once inlaid, perhaps with red glass, but this is now missing. Around his neck he wears a rectangular pectoral, which was also once inlaid. A hole in the top of his skull suggests that the animal originally wore a crown, probably in the shape of the crescent and full moon. Traces of gold are clearly visible in the hole, suggesting that the crown, and possibly also the pectoral, were made of gold, or at least gilded. Baboon figurines often wear pectorals, which generally bear an image of a barge with the motif of the full and crescent moon or the eye of Horus.

Bibliography
D. Wildung – S. Schoske, Entdeckungen. Ägyptische Kunst in Süddeutschland, Ausstellungskatalog Bayerische Landesbank München (München, Mainz 1985) 82 Nr. 62

Antikenmuseum Basel und Sammlung Ludwig, Katalog 101 Meisterwerke (Basel 2022) 68f. Nr. 22

Title
Statuette of the God Thoth as a Baboon, Late Period, 6th–4th centuries BC, Findspot unknown Egypt,Steatite glass and gold, Antikenmuseum Basel

https://antikenmuseumbasel.zetcom.net/en/collection/item/74166/

Antikenmuseum Basel

A couple statue from the louvre. Do u think it resembles Amenhotep 3?

https://collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/53355/cl010014047

A new experience is currently in the works: a tethered balloon anchored to the ground by steel cables. It ascends to a height of 150 meters, surpassing the Great Pyramid, offering a 15-minute ride with a guided commentary available in 12 languages.

An amulet made of earthenware depicting a cobra wearing the sun disk between two horns, the characteristic headdress of the goddess Hathor. The cobra though is a representation of the protective goddess Wadjet, symbol of Lower Egypt.

​The amulet dates back to either the Late Period or the Ptolemaic Period (circa 7th to 1st century BCE).

​This object (FGA-ARCH-EG-0173) is now in the Fondation Gandur pour l'Art, Geneva, Switzerland.

​Photo Credit: André Longchamp / © Fondation Gandur pour l'Art, Genève.

Was so much fun. From "Ancient Egyptian Cross Stitch" book by Barbara. Can't wait to finish my next one.

Vase

At A Glance

Period
1333-1224 BCE
Geography
Egypt
Material
Glass
Dimension
H x W x D: 6 x 4.6 x 4.6 cm (2 3/8 x 1 13/16 x 1 13/16 in)
Accession Number
F1909.425
EDAN ID
edanmdm:fsg_F1909.425

Object Details

Description
Light blue vase, originally one-handled, with black, white and dark blue dragged design. Broken and repaired.

Label
Vessels such as this one are the masterpieces of Freer's Egyptian purchases. Of superb quality and beautifully preserved, they remain the world's premier collection of Egyptian glass vessels produced during Dynasty 18 (1550-1307 B.C.E.). The rich blues and blue-greens and the lustrous surfaces that appealed to Freer were also prized by ancient artisans, who sought to imitate in glass the colors and appearance of favored gemstones, especially turquoise and lapis lazuli. The vessels were made by winding threads of molten glass around a core of sand, clay, and mud.
These small vessels were fashioned as containers for costly perfumed ointments, scented oils, and cosmetics. Comparison with vessels and fragments excavated from royal glass workshops suggests that many of the Freer examples were made during the reigns of the pharaohs Amenhotep III (1391-1353 B.C.E.) and Amenhotep IV, who changed his name to Akhenaten (1353-1335 B.C.E.). They may likewise be the products of royal workshops.

Provenance
To 1909
Giovanni Dattari (circa 1858-1923), Cairo, Egypt, to 1909 [1]
From 1909 to 1919
Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Giovanni Dattari in 1909 [2]
From 1920
Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]

Notes:
[1] See S.I. 189, Miscellaneous List, Egyptian Glass, pgs. 1 and 3, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. This piece is part of a collection of glass that was purchased en bloc and includes 1,388 specimens (for further purchase information, see the folder for F1909.332).
[2] See note 1.
[3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.

Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection

Exhibition History
Charles Lang Freer and Egypt (June 13, 1998 to October 2, 2011)
Ancient Egyptian Glass (August 13, 1994 to July 7, 2005)
Ancient Glass (May 26, 1982 to June 25, 1982)
Untitled Exhibition, South Corridor (March 6, 1981 to May 7, 1984)
Ancient Glass (June 1962 to (end date unknown))
Glass Exhibition, in honor of VI International Congress on Glass (July 4, 1962 to December 3, 1962)

Previous custodian or owner
Giovanni Dattari (1858-1923) (C.L. Freer source)
Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

Origin
Egypt

Credit Line
Gift of Charles Lang Freer

Type
Vessel

Keep Exploring

Related Resources
collections.si.edu
Date
BCE 1000s
Name
Dattari, Giovanni, Freer, Charles Lang
Place
Egypt
Topic
Dynasty 19 (ca. 1292 - 1190 BCE)), Charles Lang Freer collection, Art, Glass, Ancient Egyptian Art, Glass dragging, New Kingdom (ca. 1539 - 1075 BCE)), Core-forming, Dynasty 18 (ca. 1539 - 1295 BCE))
Culture
Egyptians
Object Type
Vessels (containers))

Title
Vase, 1333-1224 BCE, Findspot unknown Egypt, Glass, Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art

https://asia.si.edu/explore-art-culture/collections/search/edanmdm:fsg_F1909.425/

Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art

Portable shrine

At A Glance

On View
Period
305-30 BCE
Geography
Egypt
Material
Wood
Dimension
H x W x D: 56.3 x 36.7 x 48.1 cm (22 3/16 x 14 7/16 x 18 15/16 in)
Accession Number
F1907.4a-g
EDAN ID
edanmdm:fsg_F1907.4a-g

Object Details

Label
This is a rare example of a portable shrine that was used by Egyptian priests to carry images of deities in various ceremonies within the temple and on voyages outside the temple during specific festivals. Such shrines are depicted in carved reliefs dating to the Ptolemaic period (305-30 B.C.E.), but few actual examples have survived. The deity in the shrine could be represented by a cult statue or by a living or mummified animal.

The shrine is elaborately decorated with painted scenes of deities and hieroglyphic inscriptions. The sides depict the eight gods of creation, which were closely associated with the cult site of the god Thoth at Hermopolis Magna. The ibis-headed god Thoth is himself represented on one door, and the falcon-headed god Horus on the other. Both doors also depict a kneeling king, indicating that this shrine was a royal commission.

Provenance
To 1907
Unidentified owner, Egypt, to 1907 [1]
From 1907 to 1919
Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased in Egypt from an unidentified owner in 1907 [2]
From 1920
Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]

Notes:
[1] See Original Miscellaneous List, S.I. 36, pg. 32, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.
[2] See note 1.
[3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.

Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection

Exhibition History
A Collector’s Eye: Freer in Egypt (January 28, 2023 to 2026)

Art of Dynastic Egypt (December 15, 1976 to September 22, 1977)

Previous custodian or owner
Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

Origin
Egypt

Credit Line
Gift of Charles Lang Freer

Type
Sculpture

On View
West Building (Freer Gallery of Art), Gallery 20: A Collector’s Eye: Freer in Egypt

Keep Exploring

Related Resources
collections.si.edu
Date
BCE 0s
Name
Freer, Charles Lang
Place
Egypt
Topic
Charles Lang Freer collection, Shrine, Art, Horus, Wood, Hieroglyph, Ptolemaic Dynasty (305 - 30 BCE)), Ancient Egyptian Art
Culture
Egyptians
Object Type
Sculpture
On View
Yes

Title
Portable shrine, 305-30 BCE Ptolemaic period, Findspot unknown Egypt, Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art

https://asia.si.edu/explore-art-culture/collections/search/edanmdm:fsg_F1907.4a-g/

Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art

Hi everyone,
I remember reading something about the word “hy” meaning joy/play/music, but it was a long time ago. I searched the internet to find more information but I found nothing, so I’m here asking if someone can confirm if my memory serves me well and trying to find more details about it.
Thanks in advance for whoever will help me

Magical container in the shape of a hippo goddess

Second Intermediate Period–New Kingdom
ca. 1640–1500 BCE

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 116

The hybrid hippopotamus goddess that is known as Taweret or Ipet functions here as magical jar. As usual she stands upright and is shown as a fusion of a hippopotamus, lion, crocodile, and human. The cavity inside the figure was accessible through a small rounded lid at the very top. Three openings that are situated between her teeth, at the back of her head, and at the lid might have functioned to insert a wire that depicted a tongue or snake protruding from her mouth. At the same time this wire could have secured the lid. On the underside of the base is a design that shows convoluted coils and that is known from seals. Intertwined coils, loops, and knots were all magically powerful objects that were connected to protection and the creation of life. The hippopotamus goddess protected women in childbirth and it is possible that a small magic papyrus, maybe a spell for mother and child, was stored in this jar. The container might additionally have been used as part of a magical act when the spell was recited, evoking the protective goddess that is represented here and possibly using the jar’s underside to press its magically powerful design onto the pregnant woman or infant.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview
Title: Magical container in the shape of a hippo goddess
Period: Second Intermediate Period–New Kingdom
Dynasty: late Dynasty 13–early Dynasty 18
Date: ca. 1640–1500 BCE
Geography: From Egypt
Medium: Glazed steatite
Dimensions: H. 6 × W. 3.2 × D. 4 cm (2 3/8 × 1 1/4 × 1 9/16 in)
Credit Line: Gift of G. Macculloch Miller, 1943
Object Number: 43.8a, b
Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art

Provenance
Given by Theodore M. Davis (d. 1915) to George Macculloch Miller (d. 1917), who bequeathed it to his daughter, who passed it to her nephew G. Macculloch Miller, who gave to the Museum, 1943.

Reference
Hayes, William C. 1953. Scepter of Egypt I: A Background for the Study of the Egyptian Antiquities in The Metropolitan Museum of Art: From the Earliest Times to the End of the Middle Kingdom. Cambridge, Mass.: Metropolitan Museum of Art, p. 227.

1. Hatshepsut: From Queen to Pharaoh. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, No. 197,pp. 265-266 (D. Patch).

Allen, James P. and Diana Craig Patch 2005. "Magical Container." In The Art of Medicine in Ancient Egypt, edited by James P. Allen and David T. Mininberg. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, p. 26, no. 15.

Arnold, Dorothea, Niv Allon, Marsha Hill, Janice Kamrin, Diana Craig Patch, Catharine H. Roehrig, Nicholas Reeves, and Isabel Stünkel 2014. Ancient Egyptian Queens and Goddesses: Treasures of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (Japanese and English). Tokyo.

Patch, Diana Craig 2025. "Hippo Goddesses." In Divine Egypt, edited by Diana Craig Patch and Brendan Hainline. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, pp. 208, 321, no. 201.

Title
Magical Container in the Shape of a Hippo Goddess, Second Intermediate Period–New Kingdom - Late Dynasty 13–early Dynasty 18 ca. 1640–1500 BCE, Findspot unknown Egypt, Glazed steatite, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/547686

The Metropolitan Museum of Art