Bottle in the Form of a Mother and Child

Bottle in the Form of a Mother and Child

Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art

On View: Egypt Reborn: Art for Eternity, 19th Dynasty to Roman Period, Martha A. and Robert S. Rubin Gallery, 3rd Floor

"Mother-and-child" bottles were made throughout the Eighteenth Dynasty. Their function is far from certain. One possible explanation is that they contained the milk of mothers who had recently delivered a male child. Medical texts frequently mention such milk as an effective remedy for a variety of ailments.

MEDIUM Steatite, glazed

Place Made: Egypt

DATES ca. 1336-1295 B.C.E.

DYNASTY late XVIII Dynasty

PERIOD New Kingdom

DIMENSIONS Height: 4 7/16 in. (11.3 cm) 

 

Brooklyn Museum

 

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