ClassificationsAncient Egyptian Art

Taweret

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 TextTo the ancient Egyptians, childbirth and early infancy were particularly dangerous times. Household deities, such as Taweret, could provide protection for a baby and its mother. Depicted with the head and body of a hippopotamus, the legs of a lion, and a mane of a crocodile's tail, Taweret was worshipped in the home at household altars and statuettes were also given as gifts to pregnant women to ensure a safe delivery.
Exhibition HistoryMCCM Permanent Collection Galleries, May 11, 1993 - Spring 2001
MCCM Permanent Collection Galleries, April 2000 - Spring 2001
MCCM Permanent Collection Reinstallation, October 6, 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.

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