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© Bruce M. White, 2006.
Ibis Head
© Bruce M. White, 2006.
© Bruce M. White, 2006.
© Bruce M. White, 2006.
ClassificationsAncient Egyptian Art

Ibis Head

Place CreatedEgypt, Africa
CultureEgyptian
PeriodLate Period - Ptolemaic Period
Date722-30 BCE
MediumBronze
Credit LineMohamed Farid Khamis/Oriental Weavers Fund
Dimensions5 1/4 x 5 1/2 in. (13.3 x 14 cm)
Object number2004.051.003
Label TextThis solid cast bronze head of an ibis was once part of a composite sculpture as confirmed by tang on the back used to affix it to the body of the sculpture. The body of the bird may have been rendered in wood or stone and may have served as a freestanding statue of the bird or, if the body was hollowed out, perhaps a coffin for a mummified ibis. The ibis was associated with the god Thoth, who is often represented with a human body and the head of an ibis. Thoth was a lunar deity as well as the god of writing, records, scribes, and knowledge. He was venerated in many temples throughout Egypt although his main cult center existed at Hermopolis. Large cemeteries of ibis sacrificed to the god were found in both Saqqara and Tuna el-Gebel. While it is unknown whether this ibis head comes from coffin or sculpture, it is likely that it was a votive offering to the god or somehow associated with his cult. Thoth's cult centers were visited by many pilgrims, many of whom purchased ibis mummies or sculptures to offer to the god as a gift.
Exhibition HistoryFrom Pharaohs to Emperors: New Egyptian and Classical Antiquities at Emory, Michael C. Carlos Museum, January 14 - April 2, 2006
MCCM Permanent Collection Reinstallation, 2006 - March 13, 2018
MCCM Permanent Collection Gallery, July 17, 2018 - Present
Published ReferencesSotheby's London, The Ralph Richardson Collection (April 27, 2001), 82, lot 252.
Pharaoh's Creatures: Animals from Ancient Egypt (London: Rupert Wace Ancient Art Ltd., 2004), number 37.
ProvenanceEx coll. Sir Ralph Richarson (1902-1983), United Kingdom. Thence by descent. With Sotheby's London, April 27, 2001, lot 252. Purchased by MCCM from Rupert Wace Ancient Art, Ltd., London, England.
Markings"MAR 70/130" inscribed on base by Ralph Richardson.
Status
On view
Collections
  • Ancient Egyptian, Nubian, and Near Eastern Art