ClassificationsAncient Egyptian Art

Taweret

AAT Object Form/Functionstatuettes (free-standing sculpture)

Place CreatedEgypt, Africa

CultureEgyptian

PeriodLate Period

Date722-332 BCE

MediumFaience

Credit LineGift of William S. Arnett

Dimensions4 1/4 x 1 1/2 in. (10.8 x 3.8 cm)

Object number1999.002.103

Label TextPregnancy, birth, and its aftermath were times of great risk for both mothers and their offspring, and women needed deities to whom they could turn for protection against the dangers involved. One such deity was the goddess Taweret, who was depicted with the head of a hippopotamus, the limbs and paws of a lion, a mane in the form of a crocodile's tail, pendulous breasts, and a belly swollen in pregnancy. Her grotesque appearance was probably meant to ward off malicious spirits and to harness the terrifying powers of the hippopotamus, lion, and crocodile so that they might act as protection for women and their offspring. Although there were no state temples dedicated to the goddess, her image appears on domestic objects, such as cosmetic items, and amulets in the form of the goddess have been found at a number of settlement sites and at temples, where they were presented as votive offerings. The provenance and exact function of the piece shown here is unknown.
Exhibition HistoryMCCM Permanent Collection Galleries, May 11, 1993 - Spring 2001
MCCM Permanent Collection Galleries, April 2000 - Spring 2001
MCCM Permanent Collection Reinstallation, September 2001 - January 2011
Monsters, Demons & Winged Beasts: Composite Creatures in the Ancient World, Michael C. Carlos Museum, February 5 - June 19, 2011
MCCM Permanent Collection Reinstallation, June 20, 2011 - Present
Published ReferencesMichael C. Carlos Museum Handbook (Atlanta: Michael C. Carlos Museum, 1996), 22.

ProvenanceEx coll. William Arnett (1939-2020), Atlanta, Georgia.

Status

On view

Collections