Ibex
New Kingdom
This ibex lifts its head proudly on an upright neck. Both forelegs are bent backward and the body rests gracefully on the left haunch. Despite the small size of the figure, the artist has conveyed the uneven weight distribution with remarkable accuracy. The animal's body is curved, and the left hindleg has disappeared under the haunch. This pose was used for the large ram sculptures that King Amenhotep III dedicated to the god Amun-Re at his temple of Soleb, Upper Nubia. The strong influence such large sculptures exerted on the minor arts is reflected in the small figures of this ibex.
This piece has two vertical holes in the bottom and two horizontal holes in the front and rear. It may have decorated an elaborate perfume vessel, in which case it would have been attached by pegs or tubes protruding from the underside and by pieces of wire securing it front and back.
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