Mating Hippopotami
1 of 2
Object Label
In Egyptian art, one symbol could represent both a trait and its opposite. The hippopotamus could represent great danger and chaos or, alternatively, fertility and protection in childbirth. The statuette of a male hippopotamus could represent the god Seth, who embodied danger, chaos, and disorder in the world. Yet the rare limestone statuette of hippopotami mating perhaps served as a symbol that preserved the fertility of the earth. And a necklace consisting of images of the female hippopotamus goddess Taweret could protect a woman in labor.
Caption
Mating Hippopotami, 664–30 B.C.E.. Limestone, 5 1/2 x 3 3/4 x 11 1/2 in. (14 x 9.5 x 29.2 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 36.262. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum (Gavin Ashworth, photographer), 36.262_Gavin_Ashworth_photograph.jpg)
Gallery
Not on view
Gallery
Not on view
Title
Mating Hippopotami
Date
664–30 B.C.E.
Dynasty
Dynasty 26, or later
Period
Late Period to Ptolemaic Period
Geography
Place made: Egypt
Medium
Limestone
Classification
Dimensions
5 1/2 x 3 3/4 x 11 1/2 in. (14 x 9.5 x 29.2 cm)
Credit Line
Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
Accession Number
36.262
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
Are these hippos copulating? Is copulation an Egyptian word?
They are! Fertility, birth, and rebirth were very important concepts in ancient Egypt. Hippos are extremely protective of their young, so their are often associated with fertility and childbirth.Great question: "copulation" does sound Egyptian doesn't it? I believe the root of the word is actually Latin.Looking at that sculpture the first time, I was surprised to see the bumps on the hippo's snout. This is a detail that only people very familiar with the animal would have thought to include!Wow wow wow! They must have really known the animals.Yes! And respected them greatly! The hippo was one of the most dangerous animals in Egypt. They were wise to be watchful of them!Thank you!
Have information?
Have information about an artwork? Contact us at