Collection
/
Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art

Hippopotamus

ca. 1938–1539 B.C.E.

1 of 4

Object Label

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.

Caption

Hippopotamus, ca. 1938–1539 B.C.E.. Faience, 4 5/16 × 2 15/16 × 7 3/16 in., 2 lb. (11 × 7.5 × 18.3 cm, 0.91kg). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of the Ernest Erickson Foundation, Inc., 86.226.2. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 86.226.2_PS2.jpg)

Title

Hippopotamus

Date

ca. 1938–1539 B.C.E.

Dynasty

Dynasty 12 to Dynasty 17

Period

Middle Kingdom to Second Intermediate Period

Geography

Place made: Egypt

Medium

Faience

Classification

Sculpture

Dimensions

4 5/16 × 2 15/16 × 7 3/16 in., 2 lb. (11 × 7.5 × 18.3 cm, 0.91kg)

Credit Line

Gift of the Ernest Erickson Foundation, Inc.

Accession Number

86.226.2

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 are the legs broken off?

    Hippos are one of the most dangerous creatures in Egypt. They hide in the water and can rise up and capsize a boat suddenly. They are also violently protective of their young.
    Ancient Egyptians would break the legs of a hippo sculpture and place it in the tomb, in order to remove the threat of dangerous and chaotic animals in the afterlife!

  • Why is the hippo blue?

    The blue color was associated with the marshes where the hippos lived, and where life is said to have originated according to Egyptian mythology.

Have information?

Have information about an artwork? Contact us at

bkmcollections@brooklynmuseum.org.