Seal Amulet in the Shape of a Hippopotamus

Seal Amulet in the Shape of a Hippopotamus

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This very small object is a seal amulet in the shape of a reclining hippopotamus. On its flat underside are three hieroglyphs that can be read as a wish: "Life, stability, and prosperity." A nice detail is the animation of the sign in the center that has been equipped with human arms and is holding the two other hieroglyphs to its sides.

Egyptian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Seal Amulet in the Shape of a HippopotamusSeal Amulet in the Shape of a HippopotamusSeal Amulet in the Shape of a HippopotamusSeal Amulet in the Shape of a HippopotamusSeal Amulet in the Shape of a Hippopotamus

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.