This Egyptian faience hippopotamus from the Middle Kingdom of Egypt was discovered in a shaft associated with the tomb chapel of “The Steward, Senbi” at Meir, Upper Egypt, and dates from c. 1961 – 1878 B.C. This blue statuette may have held some religious significance, as Hippopotamus were sometimes associated with one of the forms of the god Seth. Black paint has been used to enhance the eyes and to decorate the body with lotus flowers, buds, and leaves symbolizing its natural surroundings of the Nile.
The hippopotamus was one of the most feared animals for ancient Egyptians and, in this case, three of its legs were purposely broken to prevent it from harming the deceased in the afterlife. Hippopotamuses were considered dangerous and represented the destructive power of the natural world, chaos, and evil. The museum has since restored these legs
This small figurine was made using Egyptian faience which is composed mainly of silica (sand or crushed quartz) along with small amounts of sodium and calcium. Faience was porous and malleable and could be shaped by hand or cast in molds. Although not pottery on a strict definition since it has no clay, faience is often regarded as pottery. Faience is considered a non-clay ceramic. It was a precursor to glazed clay-based ceramics, such as earthenware and stoneware.
In 1931 a published article about the hippo for the British humor magazine Punch referred to this artifact with affection as “William.” The Met museum republished the story in the Museum’s Bulletin, and the name, William, caught on and became the popular name for this figure. In 1936 the Met released a book entitled “William and his Friends: A Group of Notable Creatures in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.” Since then, William has continued to appear in some museum logos and museum merchandise.
A favorite statuette in Ancient Egyptian Art
The hippopotamus was a favorite statuette in Ancient Egyptian art. Over fifty blue faience hippopotamus statuettes can be found in museums and collections across the world, varying in size from about nine to twenty-two centimeters in length. Ancient Egyptians believed them to be associated with fertility and rebirth.
A blue faience hippopotamus can also be seen at the Brooklyn Museum. Unfortunately, the Brooklyn Museum hippopotamus doesn’t have legs; they have been deliberately broken off thousands of years ago. The ancient Egyptians believed that hippopotamus also had negative traits and could evoke chaotic forces because of the danger they pose to humans in the wild. So their legs were snapped off the statuettes before placing them in tombs, ensuring that the hippopotamus would not chase and eat the soul of the deceased.
Reflections
- Three legs on this statue were broken deliberately to reduce the threat of this dangerous creäture to the well-being of the deceased. What rituals do we have today, that will seem strange to observers two thousand years from today?
- Did you know that this four-thousand-year-old Hippopotamus serves as an informal mascot of the Metropolitan Museum of Art?
- Is there a better mascot for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC?
Explore the Egyptian Art
- Nefertiti Bust
- Narmer Palette
- Tutankhamun’s Mask
- Merneptah Stele
- Standing Figure of Nefertiti
- A house altar showing Akhenaten and Nefertiti with their children
- Relief Portrait of Akhenaten
- The Rosetta Stone
- The Battlefield Palette 3100 BC
- Quartzite Head of the Egyptian Pharaoh Amenhotep III
- Colossal Granite Statue of Amenhotep III
- Hunters Palette
- Tomb of Nebamun
- The Temple of Dendur
- The Sphinx of Hatshepsut
- William the Faience Hippopotamus
- Shawabti of King Senkamanisken
- Younger Memnon (Ramesses II)
- Pillar of Ramsesemperre, Royal Cupbearer and Fanbearer
- Relief of Hormin with a Weighing of the Heart
- Relief of Horemheb with Nubian Prisoners
William the Faience Hippopotamus
- Title: Faience Hippopotamus or Standing Hippopotamus
- Date: Circa 1961–1878 B.C.
- Period: Middle Kingdom
- Dynasty: Dynasty 12
- Reign: Senwosret I to Senwosret II
- Medium: Faience
- Dimensions: L. 20 cm (7 7/8 in.); W. 7.5 cm (2 15/16 in.); H. 11.2 cm (4 7/16 in.)
- Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art – MET, New York, USA
Explore the Metropolitan Museum of Art
MET European Paintings Collection
- “Pygmalion and Galatea” by Jean-Léon
- “Saint Jerome as Scholar” by El Greco
- “Portrait of Juan de Pareja” by Diego Velázquez
- “Camille Monet on a Garden Bench” by Claude Monet
- “View of Toledo” by El Greco
- “The Musicians” by Caravaggio
- “The Death of Socrates” by Jacques-Louis David
- “The Harvesters” by Pieter Bruegel the Elder
- “Young Woman Drawing” by Marie-Denise Villers
- “The Grand Canal, Venice” by J. M. W. Turner
- “The Houses of Parliament (Effect of Fog)” by Claude Monet
- “Madame Cézanne in a Red Dress” by Paul Cézanne
MET Modern and Contemporary Art Collection
- “Reclining Nude” by Amedeo Modigliani
- “Improvisation 27 (Garden of Love II)” by Wassily Kandinsky
- “Jeanne Hébuterne” by Amedeo Modigliani
- “The Card Players” by Paul Cézanne
- “Bathers” by Paul Cézanne
MET Greek and Roman Art Collection
- Statue of a Kouros
- Amathus Sarcophagus
- Mycenaean Terracotta Female Figures
MET Egyptian Art Collection
- The Temple of Dendur
- The Sphinx of Hatshepsut
- William the Faience Hippopotamus
MET Asian Art Collection
- Luohan – Yixian Glazed Ceramic Sculpture
- Pillow with Landscape Scenes – Zhang Family Workshop
- Jar with Dragon
MET Ancient Near Eastern Art Collection
- Sumerian Standing Male Worshiper
- Head of a Beardless Royal Attendant – Eunuch
- Human-Headed Winged Bull (Lamassu)
MET American Wing Collection
- “Washington Crossing the Delaware” by Emanuel Leutze
- “Portrait of Madame X” by John Singer Sargent
- “Mother and Child” by Mary Cassatt
- “Fur Traders Descending the Missouri” by George Caleb Bingham
- “The Gulf Stream” by Winslow Homer
MET Islamic Art Collection
- Blue Qur’an
- Marble Jar of Zayn al-Din Yahya Al-Ustadar
- The Damascus Room
MET Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas Collection
- Benin Ivory Mask
- African Face Mask – Kpeliye’e
- Sican Funerary Mask – Peru
- Ceremonial Axe – Papua New Guinea
MET European Sculpture and Decorative Arts Collection
- “Hercules the Archer” by Antoine Bourdelle
- “Orpheus and Eurydice” by Auguste Rodin
- “Perseus with the Head of Medusa” by Antonio Canova
MET Medieval Art Collection
- “The Last Supper” by Ugolino di Nerio
- Plaque with the Journey to Emmaus and Noli Me Tangere
- Doorway from the Church of San Nicolò, San Gemini
MET Drawings and Prints Collection
- Album of Tournaments and Parades in Nuremberg
- “Canvassing for Votes” by William Hogarth
- “Christ and the Woman of Samaria” by Rembrandt
MET Costume Institute Collection
- Bodice
- Cardinal Cape
- Doublet
MET Arms and Armor Collection
- Blade and Mounting for a Sword (Katana)
- Double-Barreled Flintlock Shotgun
MET Photograph Collection
- Loie Fuller Dancing
- Sala Delle Statue, Vatican
- Gardner’s Photographic Sketchbook of the War
MET Musical Instrument Collection
- Ming-Dynasty Pipa
- Grand Piano
- Bass Fluegel Horn in B-flat
Explore the MET
- The MET Cloisters
- Met Breuer
- Metropolitan Museum of Art – MET
~~~
“Every man is rich in excuses to safeguard his prejudices,
his instincts, and his opinions.”
– Egyptian Proverbs
~~~
Photo Credit: [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons
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