A Tusk Figurine of a Man

A Tusk Figurine of a Man

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Tusk figures belong to a group of abbreviated figurines made in the Predynastic Period. Such figurines emphasize only facial features and sexuality, while eliminating or schematizing limbs. Tusk figurines exploit a natural form –the tusk of a hippo– creating a male figure that radiates sexuality. This figurine is a superbly finished version of the type with the tusk’s tip carved into ring and a face and shoulders fashioned below. Although the eyes are only indicated by incised outlines with dots for pupils, the nose and mouth are well modeled.

Egyptian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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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.