Ritual Object
Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art
On View: 19th Dynasty to Roman Period, Martha A. and Robert S. Rubin Gallery, 3rd Floor
This object is seen in temple reliefs in which the king offers it to goddesses like Hathor, Sakhmet, Mut, or Bastet who are called the Eye of Re. As the Eye of Re, each of these deities symbolized a number of ideas, including the destructive power of the sun god. In return for this offering, the king was assured of protection and the power needed to maintain cosmic order, or Ma'at. He also received the gift of a uraeus for his crown, a symbol of the same forces embodied in the Eye of Re. The cycle of giving, receiving, and giving in return ritually affirmed that the king's possession of royal power was confirmed and renewed.
MEDIUM
Faience
DATES
ca. 664–30 B.C.E.
DYNASTY
Dynasty 26, or later
PERIOD
Late Period to Ptolemaic Period
DIMENSIONS
4 1/16 x 2 1/4 x 1 11/16 in. (10.3 x 5.7 x 4.3 cm) (show scale)
COLLECTIONS
Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art
ACCESSION NUMBER
36.838
CREDIT LINE
Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
PROVENANCE
Archaeological provenance not yet documented; between1897 and 1908, acquired by Frederick George Hilton Price of London, United Kingdom; between 1909 and 1922, provenance not yet documented; by 1922, acquired by Reverend William MacGregor of Liverpool, England; June 26-July 6, 1922, probably sold at Sotheby’s London, “Catalogue of the MacGregor Collection of Egyptian Antiquities”, lot 791 or 813; between 1922 and 1926, provenance not yet documented; by 1926, acquired by Lord Thomas David Gibson-Carmichael, 1st Baron Carmichael; June 8-10, 1926, sold at Sotheby’s London, “The Lord Carmichael Collection”, lot 276; between 1926 and 1936, provenance not yet documented; by 1936, acquired by Dikran Kelekian of New York; 1936, purchased from Dikran Kelekian by the Brooklyn Museum.
Provenance FAQ
EXHIBITIONS
MUSEUM LOCATION
This item is on view on the 19th Dynasty to Roman Period, Martha A. and Robert S. Rubin Gallery, 3rd Floor
CAPTION
Ritual Object, ca. 664–30 B.C.E. Faience, 4 1/16 x 2 1/4 x 1 11/16 in. (10.3 x 5.7 x 4.3 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 36.838. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.36.838_wwg8.jpg)
IMAGE
installation, West Wing gallery 8 installation, CUR.36.838_wwg8.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2006
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RIGHTS STATEMENT
Creative Commons-BY
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