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Large Statuette of a Goddess, Probably Hathor or Aphrodite

Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art

MEDIUM Bronze
  • Place Made: Egypt
  • DATES 1st–3rd century C.E.
    PERIOD Roman Period
    DIMENSIONS 12 5/8 x 5 11/16 x 3 3/8 in. (32 x 14.4 x 8.5 cm)  (show scale)
    ACCESSION NUMBER 37.572E
    CREDIT LINE Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
    CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION Hollow cast bronze statue of heavy-set nude standing Aphrodite. She stands with her weight on her right leg. Her left leg is slightly bent at the knee and the foot is drawn back though not raised. Her legs separate below the knees. Her arms are outstretched and bent at the elbows. The right arm is slightly higher than the left. Each hand apparently once clenched an object or attribute. She wears a necklace worked in bold relief with seven pendants evenly spread around the strand close to her thick neck. Necklace strand at rear of neck undecorated but with slight V-shaped dip. Her hair is parted and worn up yet covers ears and forms little bun about nape of neck. One corkscrew curl falls on each sloping shoulder. She wears bulbous earrings. Her head is turns slightly to her left but the right earring is considerably lower placed than the left. She wears a large openworked flaring “Syrian” crown which is mostly missing. The face is modestly idealizing. The eyes were inlaid with glass (?). The right eye is missing its inlay. The left with black pupil is preserved. Condition: Completely covered with green incrustation. The feet broken off but preserved. Some bits from the legs above the ankles missing. Badly attacked by bronze disease. Part of headdress missing. Left eye perfectly preserved. The right eye has lost its iris and restored. Attributes from her hands, if she had them, are missing.
    MUSEUM LOCATION This item is not on view
    CAPTION Large Statuette of a Goddess, Probably Hathor or Aphrodite, 1st–3rd century C.E. Bronze, 12 5/8 x 5 11/16 x 3 3/8 in. (32 x 14.4 x 8.5 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 37.572E. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.37.572E_NegB_print_bw.jpg)
    IMAGE overall, CUR.37.572E_NegB_print_bw.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2014
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    RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY
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