Statuette

Fragment of a figure: head and bust. Short wig with traces of inlaid eyes. Rough technique.Traces of blue paint at lower hairline. Marked with "Triangle 11". Originally recorded as "Trial piece from a sculptors workshop". One of a group of broken limestone statuettes found together in a tomb at the close of the 1899-1900 excavations at Abydos directed by D. Randall-MacIver. He describes the context in the fieldwork report ‘El Amrah and Abydos 1899-1901’, “a few pit-tombs and others of the later Dynasties close to the north of Mr Mace’s work. The greater number dated originally from the Middle Empire, but had been subsequently plundered and re-used. From one of these came the broken limestone figures shown in pl. xxii. (1-10, 13-18). The pit was 19 ft. deep, 8 ft. 4 in. long, and 3 ft. 4 in. wide, giving entrance to four burial chambers, viz. two on the north and two on the south side. In the upper southern chamber were found six heads and various fragments of statuettes, and in the filling of the grave were a number of others, all broken. Nothing else occurred by which to date them. A foot or two away from this pit and possibly in connection with it was a small quadrangular chapel…and in it were found fragments of three limestone statuettes, while outside it were several more… The figures vary greatly in fineness of execution, some being remarkably well carved and still partially covered with gold-leaf, while others are of very rough workmanship. The most interesting examples are shown in the illustration” (1902, 55). CONDITION NOTE 1998: Surface discolouration, abrasion, minor chips.