ClassificationsAncient Egyptian Art

Pet Dog

Place CreatedEgypt, Africa

CultureEgyptian

PeriodRoman Period

Date30 BCE-323 CE

MediumFaience

Credit LineMuseum purchase through the generosity of Anne Cox Chambers

Dimensions3 3/4 x 3 1/2 x 1 1/2 in. (9.5 x 8.9 x 3.8 cm)

Object number2014.011.004

Label TextThe ancient Egyptians saw dogs as companions and pets. Hieroglyphic captions identified them by names such as "Ebony" and "Spot". This statuette with its pointed ears, ruff, and curled tail, is reminiscent of the mixed breed dogs seen today in Egypt. The embellished collar worn around the dog's neck indicates it was a beloved household pet. The number of ceramic figurines fashioned in the Roman Period attest to the popularity of this breed, although those made in faience are more rare.
Exhibition HistoryMCCM Permanent Collection Reinstallation, 2006 - Present
Published ReferencesAlan S. Walker, Animals in Ancient Art from the Leo Mildenberg Collection. Part III (Mainz am Rhein: P. von Zabern, 1996), no. 125.
Gisela Zahlhaas, Aus Noahs Arche: Tierbilder der Sammlung Mildenberg aus funf Jahrtausenden (Munchen: P. von Zabern, 1996), 88-89, number 73.

Terms

figurines

ProvenanceEx coll. Leo Mildenberg (1913-2001), Germany and Switzerland, by 1996. With Christie's London, April 20, 2005, lot 226. Purchased by MCCM from Jerome Eisenberg (1930-2022) [Royal-Athena Galleries], New York, New York.

Status

On view

Collections