Magical Figure
Unknown Artist
ca. 1802–1550 B.C.
Medium
Clay (unfired)
Dimensions
H. 7.2 cm (2 13/16 in.); W. 3.6 cm (1 7/16 in.)
Classification
figure, magical, execration, tablet
Period
Late Middle Kingdom–Second Intermediate Period
Department
Egyptian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1933
Accession Number
33.1.72
Tags
Art Historical Context
This petite *Magical Figure*, crafted from unfired clay around 1802–1550 B.C., hails from Egypt's Late Middle Kingdom Second Intermediate Period (Dynasty 13– Intermediate Period). Standing just 7.2 cm tall, it exemplifies the era's turbulent times, when political fragmentation and foreign influences challenged traditional pharaonic power. Such figures were integral to ancient Egyptian magical practices, often serving as apotropaic talismans to ward off evil spirits, disease, or misfortune—personal protectors for everyday people amid uncertainty. The use of raw, unfired clay is particularly te...