Magical Figure
Unknown Artist
ca. 1802–1550 B.C.
Medium
Clay (unfired)
Dimensions
H. 7 cm (2 3/4 in.); W. 3.5 cm (1 3/8 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
33.1.108
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the enigmatic world of ancient Egypt with the *Magical Figure*, a small yet potent clay artifact from the Late Middle Kingdom Second Intermediate Period (ca. 1802–1550 B.C.). Crafted from unfired clay and standing just 7 cm tall, this unassuming figurine—likely hand-modeled—belonged to Dynasty 13 through the Second Intermediate Period, a time of political fragmentation when central authority waned and regional powers rose, including the Hyksos in the north. Acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art through the Rogers Fund in 1933, it exemplifies everyday Egyptian artistry from a tur...