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Lady Tuty

Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art

On View: Egyptian Orientation Gallery, 3rd Floor
Lady Tuty’s statuette, along with the adjacent figure of Lady Mi, was discovered in a communal tomb at Medinet Gurob. The style of Tuty’s sculpture is more traditional than that of Mi: the figure is slimmer and the fringed dress is depicted in a plainer, heavier fabric. Certain elements—such as the big gilded earrings and the faint traces of gilded sandals—associate her with the extraordinary wealth of Amunhotep’s time. The cone on her head represents a type of perfumed ointment worn by the wealthy at banquets and other opulent occasions. The cone gradually melted, releasing its fragrance over the hair and clothes.
MEDIUM Wood, gold leaf
  • Place Excavated: Medinet Gurob, Egypt
  • DATES ca. 1390–1352 B.C.E.
    DYNASTY late Dynasty 18
    PERIOD New Kingdom, Amarna Period
    DIMENSIONS 10 1/4 x 1 7/8 x 5 1/2 in. (26 x 4.8 x 14 cm)  (show scale)
    ACCESSION NUMBER 54.187
    CREDIT LINE Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
    MUSEUM LOCATION This item is on view in Egyptian Orientation Gallery, 3rd Floor
    CAPTION Lady Tuty, ca. 1390–1352 B.C.E. Wood, gold leaf, 10 1/4 x 1 7/8 x 5 1/2 in. (26 x 4.8 x 14 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 54.187. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 54.187_front_PS2.jpg)
    IMAGE front, 54.187_front_PS2.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2007
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    RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY
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