Statuette of a Girl
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Object Label
To ancient Egyptians, this miniature representation of a nude young girl would have had erotic appeal in ways that may elude us now. Her heavy wig alludes to the Egyptian practice of wearing an elaborate coiffure during sex. Although this figure’s original function is not clear, the loop on the top of the head implies that it was suspended from a cord.
Caption
Statuette of a Girl, ca. 1390–1353 B.C.E.. Ivory, pigment, 3 1/4 x 5/8 in. (8.3 x 1.6 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 40.126.2. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 40.126.2_SL1.jpg)
Title
Statuette of a Girl
Date
ca. 1390–1353 B.C.E.
Dynasty
Dynasty 18
Period
New Kingdom
Geography
Place made: Egypt
Medium
Ivory, pigment
Classification
Dimensions
3 1/4 x 5/8 in. (8.3 x 1.6 cm)
Credit Line
Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
Accession Number
40.126.2
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 was the purpose of this statue?
This Statuette of Nude Girl may have had an erotic appeal in Ancient Egypt. This is assumption is based on her youth, nudity, and elaborate wig together. The loop on top of her heard indicates that it was suspended in some way.The 18th Dynasty, the time period when this figurine was made, saw a proliferation of artwork on all scales. Many new temples and tombs were built plus many more personal adornments and possessions are known as well.
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