Magical Figure
Unknown Artist
ca. 1802–1550 B.C.
Medium
Clay (unfired)
Dimensions
H. 6.6 cm (2 5/8 in.); W. 3.5 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
33.1.83
Tags
Art Historical Context
This petite *Magical Figure*, crafted from unfired clay around 1802–1550 B.C. during Egypt's Late Middle Kingdom to Intermediate Period (Dynasty13–Second Intermediate Period), stands just 6.6 cm tall. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Art Department (acquired via the Rogers Fund in 193), its modest dimensions and fragile medium hint at its ritualistic purpose rather than permanence. Unfired clay, soft and breakable, was often chosen for temporary objects in ancient Egyptian magic, allowing them to be easily activated, inscribed, or even ritually destroyed. In a time of political frag...