Female figure with raised arms

Female figure with raised arms
Female figurines of this type, made from Nile silt, are among the oldest sculptures in Egyptian art. Their form is extremely schematised, and their heads tend to resemble that of a bird. The arms are raised beside the head with the palms of the hands turned to face inward, and the upper part of the body leans forward slightly. At the bottom of the legs is the hint of a foot. Their function in a tomb is not immediately apparent; are they bird-he...aded deities, fertility goddesses, concubines for the deceased, mourners, or even dancers?

Present location KMKG - MRAH [07/003] BRUSSELS
Inventory number E.3006
Dating NAQADA II
Archaeological Site UNKNOWN
Category HUMAN FIGURINE
Material SILTSTONE
Technique FORMED BY HAND; PAINTED
Height 23.7 cm
Width 15.1 cm
Bibliography•F. Lefebvre et B. Van Rinsveld, L'Égypte. Des Pharaons aux Coptes, Bruxelles 1990, 20
•S. Hendrickx, Prehistorische en vroegdynastische oudheden uit Egypte - Antiquités préhistoriques et protodynastiques d'Égypte, Bruxelles 1994, 26-27
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