Hélène Virenque, Egyptologist
Mary Shepperson and I found three small clay figurines in house E13.6, some of the few anthropomorphic representations found at Amara West.
Clay female figurines from house E13.6 (left-right F6018, F5998, F5996)
Although incomplete, the three figurines have the same rectangular shape and a fine polished surface. They each depict a naked woman, in a very schematic form, with only the breasts and a pubic triangle shown in detail. The breasts are usually added as separate pieces of clay, and thus easily break off, as with two of our examples. The pubic triangle was marked with a series of small holes. None feature legs or arms.
Wooden figurine of a woman with clay hair, from Thebes about 1750 BC. British Museum collection
Such representations are well known in ancient Egypt, especially from the Middle Kingdom onwards. By emphasing the genitalia, they evoke the woman as a source of fertility and thus could be associated with the cult of the goddess Hathor.
Some similar statuettes were found in Upper Egypt, placed in the temple of Deir el-Bahri during the New Kingdom. Other more elaborate types of fertility figurine, in painted wood, are known from late Middle Kingdom tombs.
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Filed under: Amara West, Archaeology
Hi Helene,
just saw your figurines! We have exactly the same type at Tell Edfu. in our contexts they date to the Second Intermediate Period. Looking forward to read more about your work at Amara West! All the best Nadine
Amara West project is fantastic, only wish I was there to see conservation work carried out.Looking forward to more news of this discovery.