figure
- Museum number
- EA68814
- Description
-
Fragmentary limestone figure of a naked female, the head, lower arms and feet now lost.
The female figure is depicted in a standing position with the legs placed close together and the arms held by the sides of the body. The figure is nude with clear modelling of the full bust, wide hips, and slightly swollen belly. The elongated hands and fingers are placed flat against the upper thighs. A broad collar depicted in relief adorns her neck, with a counterpoise indicated on the back. Traces of red paint detail the additional jewellery worn by the figure, including rings on the fingers, bracelets around her upper arms and wrists, a long beaded necklace extending down to the torso, and a belted girdle worn high on the hips with lotus flowers depicted on the ends of the material, both falling onto the upper thigh. On the reverse, the girdle features a large wedjat eye of Horus.
In addition to the numerous breaks across the body, there are cracks visible in the limestone notably under the bust, at the centre of the girdle underneath the torso, and across the upper arms. There is also visible discolouration on the reverse at the upper back. The object has been attached to a modern rectangular base.
- Production date
- 4thC BC(late)- 1stC BC(early)
- Dimensions
-
Height: 13.10 centimetres (max)
-
Thickness: 3.20 centimetres (max)
-
Width: 5.10 centimetres (max)
- Curator's comments
- Petrie (1886) recorded the find of this figure within the casemate structure of the Great Temenos area at Naukratis, and described the object as a ‘dancing-girl’ of Ptolemaic date. Other limestone nude female figures from Naukratis range greatly in quality, demonstrated by comparing this British Museum figure to those from other collections and sites such as: Ashmolean Museum, Oxford AN1896-1908-G.1036; Allord Pierson Museum, Amsterdam 7936; and another piece attributed to Naukratis (Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge E.SU.147).
Though some aspects of the British Museum figure are considered naturalistic, features such as the exaggerated long fingers and the roundness of the breasts remain unparalleled within surviving contemporary terracotta female figures from this site (Thomas 2015). Possible parallels beyond those from the site of Naukratis are noted to come from Memphis (Thomas & Nicholson 2013), Saqqara (Martin 1981) and Tell el Barud (see UC 60120 from Petrie Museum, London), all of which can be dated within the 4th and 3rd century BC.
Further Bibliography:
R.I. Thomas, 2015. ‘Naukratis: Egyptian Late Period figures in terracotta and limestone’, in A. Villing et al (eds.) Naukratis: Greeks in Egypt (London), p. 20, Fig. 16.
R.I. Thomas, 2019. ‘Terracotta and stone figurines from Naukratis’, British Museum Studies in Ancient Egypt and Sudan 24, p. 187, Fig. 7g.
General Sources:
G.T. Martin, 1981. The sacred animal necropolis at North Saqqâra, the southern dependencies of the main temple complex. Egypt Exploration Society, Excavation Memoirs 50.
R.I. Thomas, P.T. Nicholson, 2013. ‘Figurines’ in P.T. Nicholson (ed.) Working in Memphis: The production of faience at Roman period Kom Helul (London), p. 41-74.
- Location
- Not on display
- Exhibition history
-
Exhibited:
2016, 19 May-27 Nov, BM exhibition Sunken Treasures
- Acquisition date
- 1886
- Department
- Egypt and Sudan
- BM/Big number
- EA68814
- Registration number
- 1886,0401.1394
