Figure of a Female Dwarf

Figure of a Female Dwarf

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Dwarves and pygmies were highly respected in ancient Egypt. Apparently their short stature gave raise to the belief that they possessed beneficial magic powers. They also served as well-liked jesters at the royal court. This figure of a female dwarf of light blue faience is represented with a long bead necklace, armlets and an elaborate hairdo. An ancient magical spell prescribes that a dwarf figure should be placed on the body of a woman giving birth.

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.