Ibis head

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Inlaid vitreous material in the eyes gives this ibis head a life-like and alluring appearance. This elegant bird was sacred to Thoth, the god of wisdom, scribal functions, and learning. Representations of the ibis in cupreous metal are some of the most numerous sacred animal statuettes, alongside the cat, falcon, and Apis bull. The prevalence of the ibis during the first millennium BC, and the appeal of animal cult in general, can also be seen in the thousands of surviving ibis mummies, which were offered in animal necropoleis (catacombs) throughout Egypt. This ibis head would have been part of a large and imposing composite statuette, with the head and legs made of cupreous metal, and the body made of wood, stone, or another material. The technique of combining materials is well known for Egyptian statuary, and among cult dedications, was commonly used for ibis representations in particular. Ibis statuettes such as this have been found in the catacombs with ibis mummies and also in caches related to temples or shrines.

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