Bes and Dancing Woman1st–2nd century CE

On view:

Geffen Galleries, floor 1

No image

Title: Bes and Dancing Woman
Place Made: Egypt
Date Made: 1st–2nd century CE
Medium: Limestone
Dimensions: 12 × 12 1/4 × 3 in. (30.48 × 31.12 × 7.62 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of Adina Lei Savin, in honor of Dr. William Benson Harer, Jr.
Accession Number: M.2022.132.1
Classification: Sculpture
Collecting Area: Egyptian Art
Curatorial Notes: This unusual limestone relief depicts the Egyptian god Bes, protector of the household, mothers in childbirth, children, and joyful activities, including music-making and dance. Bes is shown naked, with the exception of a priestly panther skin tied at his neck. He brandishes a dagger and a captured snake, reflecting his ability to kill serpents and deflect evil spirits. Numerous terracotta or faience apotropaic images of Bes have been excavated from Egyptian households, while limestone stelae or plaques such as this example were more likely installed at a location for fertility or healing rituals. Most Egyptian deities are depicted in profile on reliefs, while the bearded figure of Bes is usually shown frontally with an extended tongue and squat proportions. A profile figure, possibly Beset, the feminine counterpart of Bes, dances to the left with an upheld tambourine.

On view:

Geffen Galleries, floor 1

No image

Title: Bes and Dancing Woman
Place Made: Egypt
Date Made: 1st–2nd century CE
Medium: Limestone
Dimensions: 12 × 12 1/4 × 3 in. (30.48 × 31.12 × 7.62 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of Adina Lei Savin, in honor of Dr. William Benson Harer, Jr.
Accession Number: M.2022.132.1
Classification: Sculpture
Collecting Area: Egyptian Art
Curatorial Notes: This unusual limestone relief depicts the Egyptian god Bes, protector of the household, mothers in childbirth, children, and joyful activities, including music-making and dance. Bes is shown naked, with the exception of a priestly panther skin tied at his neck. He brandishes a dagger and a captured snake, reflecting his ability to kill serpents and deflect evil spirits. Numerous terracotta or faience apotropaic images of Bes have been excavated from Egyptian households, while limestone stelae or plaques such as this example were more likely installed at a location for fertility or healing rituals. Most Egyptian deities are depicted in profile on reliefs, while the bearded figure of Bes is usually shown frontally with an extended tongue and squat proportions. A profile figure, possibly Beset, the feminine counterpart of Bes, dances to the left with an upheld tambourine.