Cup with Lotus Decoration
1 of 9
Object Label
This little cup has been shaped and decorated to resemble a blue lotus (water lily). This was the flower the Egyptians loved above all others. They treasured it for its fragrance and especially for the way in which it seemed to follow the sun, opening at daybreak and closing at nightfall. The blue lotus became a potent symbol of the hope for eternal life. It is likely, therefore, that this small vessel was not made for use or as a toy but rather was placed in a temple as a gift to a god.
Caption
Cup with Lotus Decoration, ca. 1938–1539 B.C.E.. Faience, 1 11/16 × Diam. 1 11/16 in. (4.3 × 4.3 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 35.1275. Creative Commons-BY
Gallery
Not on view
Gallery
Not on view
Title
Cup with Lotus Decoration
Date
ca. 1938–1539 B.C.E.
Dynasty
Dynasty 12 to Dynasty 13
Period
Middle Kingdom
Geography
Place made: Egypt
Medium
Faience
Classification
Dimensions
1 11/16 × Diam. 1 11/16 in. (4.3 × 4.3 cm)
Credit Line
Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
Accession Number
35.1275
Rights
Creative Commons-BY
You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
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