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Standing Hippopotamus

Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art

On View: Old Kingdom to 18th Dynasty, Egyptian Galleries, 3rd Floor
Egyptian artists decorated statuettes of hippos with images of Nile flora and fauna. Common motifs included lotus buds, flowers, marsh grass, lily pads, frogs, waterfowl, and insects. The legs of most statuettes were broken just before burial to ensure that they posed no threat to the tomb owner. Museum conservators restored the legs of many examples, including this one, to show how the statuettes looked when they were made.
MEDIUM Faience
  • Place Made: Egypt
  • DATES ca. 1938–1539 B.C.E.
    DYNASTY Dynasty 12 to Dynasty 17
    PERIOD Middle Kingdom to Second Intermediate Period
    DIMENSIONS 4 1/4 x 6 9/16 in. (10.8 x 16.7 cm)  (show scale)
    ACCESSION NUMBER L48.7.19
    CREDIT LINE Anonymous loan
    MUSEUM LOCATION This item is on view in Old Kingdom to 18th Dynasty, Egyptian Galleries, 3rd Floor
    CAPTION Standing Hippopotamus, ca. 1938–1539 B.C.E. Faience, 4 1/4 x 6 9/16 in. (10.8 x 16.7 cm). Anonymous loan, L48.7.19. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, L48.7.19_transp5519.jpg)
    IMAGE overall, L48.7.19_transp5519.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph
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    RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY
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