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Ring with Image of a Crocodile

Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art

On View: 19th Dynasty to Roman Period, Martha A. and Robert S. Rubin Gallery, 3rd Floor

The crocodile is probably a representation of the god Sobek, whose cult was popular in the large, watery, fertile depression called the Faiyum to the west of the Nile Valley. Because small-scale images of animals are difficult to date solely on the basis of style, this ring has been attributed to periods as diverse as Dynasty XVIII (circa 1539–1295 B.C.) and the Late Period (circa 664–332 B.C.).

MEDIUM Gold
  • Possible Place Made: Fayum Region, Egypt
  • DATES ca. 1539-1075 B.C.E. or later
    DYNASTY Dynasty 18, or later
    PERIOD New Kingdom, or later
    DIMENSIONS 1 × 1 3/16 in. (2.5 × 3 cm)  (show scale)
    ACCESSION NUMBER 74.21
    CREDIT LINE Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
    CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION A ring with a figure of a crocodile on a flat bezel. The crocodile is probably hollow. Condition: Some dirt in hollow areas. Bezel bent in several places. Snout slight worn. Long scratches in bezel and small scratches in various places.
    CAPTION Ring with Image of a Crocodile, ca. 1539-1075 B.C.E. or later. Gold, 1 × 1 3/16 in. (2.5 × 3 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 74.21. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.74.21_wwg8.jpg)
    IMAGE installation, West Wing gallery 8 installation, CUR.74.21_wwg8.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2006
    "CUR" at the beginning of an image file name means that the image was created by a curatorial staff member. These study images may be digital point-and-shoot photographs, when we don\'t yet have high-quality studio photography, or they may be scans of older negatives, slides, or photographic prints, providing historical documentation of the object.
    RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY
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     <em>Ring with Image of a Crocodile</em>, ca. 1539-1075 B.C.E. or later. Gold, 1 × 1 3/16 in. (2.5 × 3 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 74.21. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.74.21_wwg8.jpg)

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