Cow plaque

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This metal plaque depicts a standing cow with a sundisk between its horns, which is a common representation of the goddess Hathor. It was excavated at Deir el-Bahari, close to a shrine for this goddess. Most likely the plaque had been deposited at this shrine, as a donation to the deity.　There are two elongated loops on the back of the plaque: one is in the center of the cow’s back, and the other is on the baseline. These were probably used for stringing this plaque together with a series of similar small pieces. For very similar pieces, see 23.3.100-.101.

Egyptian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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.

Metropolitan Museum of Art