Female Figure

This female figure, shown in a long white skirt, was found in a tomb. Does she represent a goddess, a priestess, or a mourner? Is she grieving, dancing, or manifesting her power? Why are her feet not shown, and why is her head reduced to a birdlike beak? This striking statuette, one of the most famous Predynastic works in the world, raises questions that we may never be able to answer.

• Medium: Terracotta, painted
• Geographical Location: Ma'mariya, Egypt
• Dates: ca. 3500-3400 B.C.E.
• Period: Predynastic Period, Naqada IIa Period
• Dimensions: 11 1/2 x 5 1/2 x 2 1/4 in. (29.2 x 14 x 5.7 cm)
• Collection: Egyptian, Classical, and Ancient Middle Eastern Art
• Museum Location: BMA, EXHIBITION-3, ECAMEA-3G55
• Accession Number: 07.447.505
• Image: "Overall", 07.447.505_SL1.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 0,