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Ivory inlay of Taweret
Nubian
Classic Kerma
about 1700–1550 B.C.
Findspot: Nubia (Sudan), Kerma, K309
Medium/Technique
Ivory
Dimensions
Height x width x depth: 12.3 x 4.2 x 0.2 cm (4 13/16 x 1 5/8 x 1/16 in.)
Credit Line
Harvard University—Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition
Accession Number20.1644
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsAncient Egypt, Nubia and the Near East
ClassificationsFurniture
DescriptionThis ivory inlay would once have belonged to a wooden fixture such as a funerary bed. It depicts the goddess Taweret, facing left and holding a knife in front of her, wearing a slightly flaring skirt with pleats. Irregularly incised lines and notches add details including the mouth, paw, eye and at least one (possibly two intended) exaggerated, pendulous breast, and both pleats and tie of the skirt. The arm is broken and mended. The inlay is broken roughly in half vertically. A small fragment is missing from the skirt, and the lower section of the feet are missing. The surface of the ivory shows many light scratches.
Taweret (literally: "the great one") was an especially popular goddess in the domestic sphere throughout pharaonic times. She was conceived as having the body and head of a pregnant hippo, paws of a lion, and back/tail of a crocodile. She was considered a protective deity especially for expecting and birthing mothers as well as young children. Her images appear on many household fixtures such as beds, chairs, and headrests, all of which can also be found as funerary items. She became known outside of Egypt as well, appearing in Nubia (as with this object) and Crete.
Taweret (literally: "the great one") was an especially popular goddess in the domestic sphere throughout pharaonic times. She was conceived as having the body and head of a pregnant hippo, paws of a lion, and back/tail of a crocodile. She was considered a protective deity especially for expecting and birthing mothers as well as young children. Her images appear on many household fixtures such as beds, chairs, and headrests, all of which can also be found as funerary items. She became known outside of Egypt as well, appearing in Nubia (as with this object) and Crete.
ProvenanceFrom Kerma, tomb K309. December 1913: excavated by the Harvard University–Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition; assigned to the MFA in the division of finds by the government of Sudan.
(Accession Date: March 1, 1920)
(Accession Date: March 1, 1920)