Collection
/
Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art

Cynocephalus Baboon (Thoth)

664–343 B.C.E.

1 of 3

Caption

Cynocephalus Baboon (Thoth), 664–343 B.C.E.. Bronze, 2 3/8 x 3/4 x 1 3/8 in., 0.3 lb. (6 x 1.9 x 3.5 cm, 0.14kg). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 08.480.41. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.08.480.41_view1.jpg)

Gallery

Not on view

Title

Cynocephalus Baboon (Thoth)

Date

664–343 B.C.E.

Dynasty

Dynasty 26 to Dynasty 30

Period

Late Period

Geography

Place made: Egypt

Medium

Bronze

Classification

Sculpture

Dimensions

2 3/8 x 3/4 x 1 3/8 in., 0.3 lb. (6 x 1.9 x 3.5 cm, 0.14kg)

Credit Line

Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund

Accession Number

08.480.41

Rights

Creative Commons-BY

You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.

Frequent Art Questions

  • What is a cynocephalus baboon?

    It's a type of baboon found in Africa. Cynocephalus refers to the shape of the baboon's head, which appears like a dog's head.
    The baboon species P. cynocephalus was actually not native to Egypt, but found farther south, further up the Nile, so they were imported! However, cynocephalus baboons are widely found in ancient Egyptian iconography, sacred to the god Thoth and messengers to the gods.

  • What did baboons represent?

    Because baboons raise their arms every morning to warm their bodies with the light of the sun, and they shout at dawn as if to greet the sun, they are associated with the sun god, Re. They were also associated with Thoth, the god of wisdom, because they were understood as very intelligent animals. Their sometimes aggressive nature led them to be seen as guardians as well.

  • Tell me more.

    This baboon, a type native to Egypt, would have been a sacred figure associated with the god of wisdom, Thoth. Baboons were also seen as particularly effective messengers to Thoth.

Have information?

Have information about an artwork? Contact us at

bkmcollections@brooklynmuseum.org.