Why did the ancient Egyptians snap off the hippo statuette legs before putting them into tombs?
That's a great observation and excellent question. Powerful icons were placed in tombs to serve specific purposes for the journey to the afterlife. The standing hippopotamus represented Seth, the brother of Osiris who murdered him and then claimed his throne. It was thus a symbol of chaos. Egyptians controlled negative forces in the tomb by including a hippopotamus with the legs purposely broken.
What did scarabs and hippos represent to ancient Egyptians?
This kind of beetle was highly symbolic to ancient Egyptians, it represented rebirth and renewal. They believed that the sun was pushed across the sky every day by a giant scarab, the god Khepri. In real life, the scarab beetle lays its eggs in a ball of dung and rolls the ball ahead of it wherever it goes. When the young beetles hatch they pop out through the dung which seemed like a miracle to the Egyptians!
As for hippos -- they were a common sight along the Nile river, for one thing. They are powerful animals and dangerous ones, they were hazards to boats and to humans.
Some sculptures of hippos are decorated with designs of plants that were common to the Nile region. Do you see any like this?
We did!
Was it a blue hippo?
Yeah! Is that color special for Egyptians?
Yes, incredibly special!
For the Egyptians the lighter shade of blue was almost interchangeable with green, the color of the sea, plants, vegetation, and thus health and life. Turquoise, a popular stone, mined primarily in the Sinai was closely linked to the goddess Hathor, the Lady of Turquoise.
The darker shade of blue was associated with the dark primordial waters out of which creation first appeared, as well as the night sky through which the sun-god travelled to be reborn every morning. The close links between dark blue and black also evoke the black mineral-rich soil of the Nile valley which was great for agriculture. All of the above hold the significance of creation and resurrection. In sculpture this color usually appears as lapis-lazuli, an imported stone often used to represent dark hair.
Can you tell me about the Guennol collection?
The Guennol Collection, assembled by Alastair Martin and his wife, features a number of exceptional objects! Several were acquired by the museum or are on long term loan. The couple began collecting objects in the late 1940s, which they soon began offering to museums. Martin became a trustee of the Brooklyn Museum in 1948 and began lending and donating objects to the museum.
The Collection is rather diverse and features art from ancient Egypt, the ancient Americas, Asian art, and American folk art. Objects from the collection can be found in numerous places around the Museum today.
Aren't blue hippos a Met thing?
The Met does prominently advertise their blue hippo, but I would argue that they're an ancient Egyptian thing.
Hippos were included in Egyptian tombs from the predynastic period on to symbolically control chaos. The blue faience versions were specific to the Middle Kingdom period. The material of the blue hippo is faience, a quartz based paste that was decorated with a mineral glaze and then fired. It was typically used to create this particular blue. The blue color was associated with the marshes of the nile where the hippos lived and where life is said to have originated in Egyptian mythology.
We have a lot more Egyptian faience objects in our special exhibition 'Infinite Blue' on the first floor.
This hippo is so cute! This was an item that they put in the burial crypts?
Yes, this was for a tomb! Before being placed in the tomb, the hippo's legs were intentionally broken so that it couldn't come to life and harm the deceased.
Hippos were (and are) a threat to those boating along the Nile river. Hippos are the most deadly animal in all of the African continent! Placing the injured hippo figure in the tomb was a way of protecting the dead from harm while taking their journey in the afterlife.
It is extremely cute.
Really? I had no idea they were so dangerous!
Yes! One threat is that they hide underwater and then suddenly rise up and capsize boats. An adult male can open its mouth six feet wide. Their jaws are incredibly powerful, as are their tusks!
Wow! That's crazy.
Does he or she have a name?
No, just "Faience Hippo" after the material it's made of! But does it look like any particular name to you?
He looks like a Henry!
Henry the Hippo, I like it!
If hippos were potentially a threat to the person buried in the tomb, why were they buried in the tomb even with broken legs? Did they aid the departed in some way?
A broken hippo placed in the tomb served as a sort of amulet against forces of chaos and danger.
You will see a lot of this sort of duality when it comes to Egyptian ideas about animals: the same beast can have both positive and negative associations.
Hippos were also seen as relating to fertility. In the context of rebirth, you can see why this would have been valuable.
You could even think about harnessing their destructive powers for your own protection.
Interesting. Are hippos particularly fertile animals? Or are they just very aggressive, and thus considered virile?
Hippos are known to be very protective of their young, which was the aspect that ancient Egyptians were especially looking to harness with tomb equipment.
There is also a particular association between flora and fauna living in the Nile (the source of life in Egypt) and fertility.
Ah, that makes sense.
Can you tell me about this?
You may also have noticed that the hippo has water plants painted on it. This gives the impression that it is surrounded by a real marshy environment!
Hippos like this one would have their legs broken off before they were placed in tombs. Hippos represented chaos and danger to the ancient Egyptians, and so the breaking of the legs helped to, hopefully, control chaos in the afterlife for the deceased!
What is the symbolism of the plants drawn on the hippo?
The plants and even the blue color of the statuette are meant to represent the hippo's watery environment. They depict lotuses and reeds that grow in the water.
