Cosmetic Vessel in the Shape of a Dwarf

Cosmetic Vessel in the Shape of a Dwarf

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The twisting motion of the dwarf carrying a heavy storage jar on his shoulder defies the usual rigid frontality of Egyptian statuary, making this a true piece of sculpture in the round. Such an artistic liberty was acceptable for whimsical representations of anonymous servants but never would have been allowed in formal sculpture, even in the more expressive art of the Amarna period.

Egyptian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Cosmetic Vessel in the Shape of a DwarfCosmetic Vessel in the Shape of a DwarfCosmetic Vessel in the Shape of a DwarfCosmetic Vessel in the Shape of a DwarfCosmetic Vessel in the Shape of a Dwarf

The Met collection of ancient Egyptian art consists of approximately 30,000 objects of artistic, historical, and cultural importance, dating from about 300,000 BCE to the 4th century CE. A signifcant percentage of the collection is derived from the Museum's three decades of archaeological work in Egypt, initiated in 1906 in response to increasing interest in the culture of ancient Egypt.