Statuette of a Woman
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Object Label
Whether the woman represented here had her own tomb or shared her husband’s, her grave goods included this very fine statuette. The style of the figure, especially the details of the face and wig, indicates that it was made during the reign of Amunhotep III. The base, on which the subject’s name would have been written, has been lost.
Caption
Statuette of a Woman, ca. 1390–1353 B.C.E.. Wood, 10 1/16 x 2 3/4 x 1 7/8 in. (25.6 x 7 x 4.8 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 54.29. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 54.29_PS4.jpg)
Title
Statuette of a Woman
Date
ca. 1390–1353 B.C.E.
Dynasty
Dynasty 18
Period
New Kingdom
Geography
Place made: Egypt
Medium
Wood
Classification
Dimensions
10 1/16 x 2 3/4 x 1 7/8 in. (25.6 x 7 x 4.8 cm)
Credit Line
Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
Accession Number
54.29
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.
Frequent Art Questions
Why was this woman's hair so long?
These are long wigs, which were seen as a sign of beauty in ancient Egypt. Elaborate wigs held sexual appeal. Both men and women paid a lot of attention to caring for the body. Hair was plucked, oiled, shaved and otherwise groomed.Nearby you can see a wooden comb once used to care for wigs!Tell me more.
The statuette on the left was made during the reign of the pharaoh Amunhotep III. We can tell by the style of her wig. Long wigs like these were seen as a sign of beauty in ancient Egypt.Both men and women paid attention to personal grooming. Nearby you can see a wooden comb that was once used to care for wigs.Were all these three statues Sati?
Only one of them is a shabty for Sati. The colorful one with inscriptions. The wooden statues served a different purpose, but were likely entombed with a deceased as part of their funerary equipment.Oh I see.Tell me more.
These standing women were made to be included in tombs and are meant the depict the deceased. The one on the left can be dated to the reign of Amunhotep III by her large and elaborate wig.Is the hair supposed to represent dreadlocks? Is that how Egyptian women wore their hair?
They're probably not dreadlocks, it's more likely that they're braids. I don't know of any references to dreadlocks in ancient Egypt--though they may exist--but I do know that braided hairstyles were often popular especially in formal settings.You can actually see some braided extensions in the neighboring gallery!Tell me more.
These three figures all show off a common feature for both men and women in ancient Art: elaborate hairstyles including wigs and extensions!These hairstyles were seen as a sign of beauty in ancient Egypt. We actually have mummified hair extensions in the gallery with Senwosret III that you should check out if you're interested.
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