Predynastic Figure

Human figure made from clay and painted red. Male with sheath, beard, impressed lines for eyes and simple moulding for ears. Legs missing below the knees and arms at the shoulders. Excavated at Cemetery U, near the modern village of Hiw, grave U96 recorded by Mr MacIver which was described as being of an unusual depth of 10 feet. Prof. Petrie dated the burial to Sequence Date 36 and described the contents as, "contained all the bones stacked together as a tight oblong mass, wrapped in a reed mat as usual; the legs above the arms, no skull, scapulae, fingers or toes. Two clay figures of men, coloured red, were in the filling ('Diospolis Parva' p. 36). Compare with other predynastic clay figurines of men from the same site in the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, University College London (UC10791 and UC10796) Compare with 'Anthropomorphic Figurines' by Peter Ucko, p.32, pl.V. CONDITION NOTE 1998: Incomplete, surface loss. CONDITION NOTE 2016: Fair. Very worn and pitted surface. Dirt ingrained into the uneven surface.