Statuette, Neith

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Beginning in Dynasty 26, Sais became more prominent as the home of the kings. The main goddess of Sais was Neith, and many statues of the goddess were created during Dynasty 26, both for Sais, but certainly also for cities where her cult was respected such as the capital Memphis or the emporium Naukratis that lay downstream from Sais. After Dynasty 26, the goddess and the city both retained some prominence, although the city was no longer the dynastic seat. The level brows and narrow but full-lipped slightly smiling mouth closely resemble features that may be seen in the bronze statuette of king Amasis (35.9.3) or stone statuettes of his officials such as General Amasis (66.99.68).

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