<em>One of the Souls of Buto in the Pose of Rejoicing</em>, ca. 664–525 B.C.E. or later. Bronze, 6 5/16 x 4 7/16 x 4 5/16 in. (16 x 11.2 x 11 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 37.420E. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 37.420E.jpg)

One of the Souls of Buto in the Pose of Rejoicing, ca. 664–525 B.C.E. or later. Bronze, 6 5/16 x 4 7/16 x 4 5/16 in. (16 x 11.2 x 11 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 37.420E. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 37.420E.jpg)

DOWNLOAD

Download our app and ask your own questions during your visit. Here are some that others have asked.

What does this mean?

This pose is the same as the hieroglyph for rejoicing. The figure depicts one of the "Souls of Buto." Buto is a sacred city in norther Egypt.

And why does it have an eagle face?

It's actually a falcon. Most Egyptian deities were associated with an animal or animals and they were frequently depicted with a human body and the head of their animal. Many deities were associated with falcons, the ancient Egyptians held them in high regard.

Who is this?

This statue depicts one of the "Souls of Buto" in a pose of rejoicing. His face is that of a falcon. A soul traveling to the afterlife you encounter the Souls of Buto on their journey.

Ancient Egyptians held falcons in high regard and a number of deities were associated with them. Animal associations with deities were often expressed through the use of animal heads on human bodies.

One of the Souls of Buto in the Pose of Rejoicing

Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art

On View: Old Kingdom to 18th Dynasty, Egyptian Galleries, 3rd Floor

The bau of Buto were other-than-human powers believed to reside in that ancient and sacred northern Egyptian city; they were usually associated with bau of the sacred southern city of Hierakonpolis. Images of them in the round normally have the pose of this figure, a three-dimensional hieroglyphic writing of the verb "to praise" or "to acclaim." They were used to adorn cult objects, on which they served to praise the deity of the cult.

MEDIUM Bronze

Reportedly From: Memphis, Egypt

DATES ca. 664–525 B.C.E. or later

DYNASTY Dynasty 26, or later

PERIOD Late Period

DIMENSIONS 6 5/16 x 4 7/16 x 4 5/16 in. (16 x 11.2 x 11 cm) mount (display dimensions): 8 1/2 x 5 x 5 in. (21.6 x 12.7 x 12.7 cm) (show scale)

COLLECTIONS Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art

ACCESSION NUMBER 37.420E

CREDIT LINE Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund

CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION Falcon-headed figure kneeling on one knee. The figure holds its left hand to its chest and its right hand up in the air in a gesture of greeting and rejoicing. The figure, which is garbed in a tripartite wig and a short pleated kilt, may be identified as a representation of a "soul of Buto." It probably once formed part of a cult apparatus. Condition: Good. Green patina spotted with cuprite.

EXHIBITIONS

MUSEUM LOCATION This item is on view in Old Kingdom to 18th Dynasty, Egyptian Galleries, 3rd Floor

CAPTION One of the Souls of Buto in the Pose of Rejoicing, ca. 664–525 B.C.E. or later. Bronze, 6 5/16 x 4 7/16 x 4 5/16 in. (16 x 11.2 x 11 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 37.420E. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 37.420E.jpg)

IMAGE overall, 37.420E.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph

"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

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.

RECORD COMPLETENESS