Furniture Leg, Probably from a Bed
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Object Label
Ancient Egyptians often sat or slept on mats on the ground, and their earliest furniture was extremely low. This furniture leg is shaped like a bull’s hind leg atop a ribbed cylinder and probably comes from the foot of a bed. Rare examples of completely preserved beds indicate that the legs at the head of the bed would have represented a bull’s front legs.
Caption
Furniture Leg, Probably from a Bed, ca. 3000–2675 B.C.E.. Wood, 5 11/16 in. (14.5 cm) Base: 1 5/16 x 1 5/16 in. (3.4 x 3.3 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 36.290.4. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)
Title
Furniture Leg, Probably from a Bed
Date
ca. 3000–2675 B.C.E.
Dynasty
Dynasty 1 to Dynasty 2
Period
early Dynastic Period
Geography
Place excavated: Abydos, Egypt
Medium
Wood
Classification
Dimensions
5 11/16 in. (14.5 cm) Base: 1 5/16 x 1 5/16 in. (3.4 x 3.3 cm)
Credit Line
Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
Accession Number
36.290.4
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