Collection
/
Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art

Baboon Appliqué

305–30 B.C.E.

1 of 3

Object Label

The baboon, like the ibis, was sacred to the god Thoth. A small number of baboon mummies were buried in the ibis cemeteries. The wooden baboon shown here perhaps was part of a shrine of Thoth as a baboon. The small appliqué also on view was once attached to a baboon mummy. Bronze figurines of baboons, like the third object displayed here, were symbols used by scribes, who worshipped Thoth as the god of writing.

Caption

Baboon Appliqué, 305–30 B.C.E.. Linen, 5 1/2 x 2 3/8 x 1/4 in. (14 x 6 x 0.6 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 37.272E. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)

Gallery

Not on view

Title

Baboon Appliqué

Date

305–30 B.C.E.

Period

Ptolemaic Period

Geography

Reportedly from: Saqqara, Egypt

Medium

Linen

Classification

Funerary Object

Dimensions

5 1/2 x 2 3/8 x 1/4 in. (14 x 6 x 0.6 cm)

Credit Line

Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund

Accession Number

37.272E

Frequent Art Questions

  • Can you tell me more about this baboon appliqué?

    This applique likely would have adorned a mummy and served to identify it as containing a baboon. Monkey mummies appear in almost every necropolis of the Ptolemaic Period. They enjoyed popularity among Egyptian elite. Tomb scenes depicting monkeys under people's chairs suggest they had a role as pets. These images may also represent sexuality and suggest that monkeys contributed to a human's rebirth in the afterlife.

  • What did baboons represent?

    Because baboons raise their arms every morning to warm their bodies with the light of the sun, and they shout at dawn as if to greet the sun, they are associated with the sun god, Re. They were also associated with Thoth, the god of wisdom, because they were understood as very intelligent animals. Their sometimes aggressive nature led them to be seen as guardians as well.

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