Statuette of a Male Deity
ca. 2625–2500 B.C.E.
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Object Label
This figure’s large wig and unusual clothing, which consists of a penis sheath attached to a belt, indicate that he is a deity, but his exact identity is uncertain. Made for either a temple or a king’s tomb, this statue was the product of a royal workshop, where very hard stone such as gneiss was finely and carefully modeled. This depiction of the god’s strong, youthful body reflects the ideal of the male form in Old Kingdom sculpture.
Caption
Statuette of a Male Deity, ca. 2625–2500 B.C.E.. Gneiss, 8 1/2 × 3 3/4 × 3 1/2 in. (21.6 × 9.5 × 8.9 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 58.192. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)
Gallery
Not on view
Gallery
Not on view
Frequent Art Questions
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This statue is dated to 5th Dynasty based on the style of the facial features and other carving elements. Interestingly, his hairstyle and garments were already old fashioned by the time this statue was created. These elements have origins generations before the first kings of a unified Egypt. Depictions of men wearing penis sheaths are well-known on decorated stone palettes from the Pre- to Early Dynastic Period (at least 500 to 1000 years before this sculpture) and may even represent the style of people from a particular region.
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