Cult stand with animal decoration
3100–2960, or earlier
FindspotAbydos, Egypt
Medium/TechniquePottery
DimensionsHeight x diameter: 65.5 x 30.5 cm (25 13/16 x 12 in.)
Credit LineEgypt Exploration Fund by subscription
Accession number03.1959
On View
On viewClassificationsReligious and cult objects
Collections
Temple furnishings from the earliest days of the Egyptian state, like this pottery cult stand, are extremely rare. The powerful ram with heavy, straight horns may represent an early ram god. The central part of the stand is decorated with a pattern of incised triangles, a motif found at this time in both southern Egypt and Nubia. Large, triangular openings divide the lower part into four panels, two of which feature images of a giraffe standing beside a palm tree. The plant-with-animal symbol may identify a particular estate or plantation, in which case the figure would be examples of early hieroglyphic writing.
ProvenanceFrom Abydos. 1903: excavated by William Matthew Flinders Petrie for the Egypt Exploration Fund, assigned to the Egypt Exploration Fund in the division of finds by the government of Egypt, received by the MFA through subscription to the Egypt Exploration Fund. (Accession Date: January 1, 1903)
1991–1783 B.C.
570–526 B.C.
1550–1070 B.C.
760–30 B.C.
2500–2350 B.C.
1570–1070 B.C.
305–30 B.C.
1400–1390 B.C.
1783–about 1640 B.C.