Brooklyn Museum: Egyptian, Classical, and Ancient Middle Eastern Art: Statuette of a Standing Hippopotamus

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Statuette of a Standing Hippopotamus

Many Middle Kingdom and Second Intermediate Period burials contained statuettes of hippos. The Egyptians believed that to slay this symbol of chaos and disorder in the afterlife guaranteed triumph over death throughout eternity. To ensure victory against this most dangerous creature, the Egyptians snapped off the statuette’s legs before placing it in the tomb.

Medium: Faience, painted
Place Made: Egypt
Dates: ca. 1938-1539 B.C.E.
Dynasty: XII Dynasty-XVII Dynasty
Period: Middle Kingdom-Second Intermediate Period
Dimensions: 4 1/8 x 3 1/8 x 7 3/8 in. (10.5 x 7.9 x 18.8 cm)
Collections: Egyptian, Classical, and Ancient Middle Eastern Art
Museum Location: This item is not on view
Accession Number: 86.226.2
Credit Line: Gift of the Ernest Erickson Foundation, Inc.
Image: Overall, 86.226.2_PS2.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2007