Model adze
Unknown Artist
ca. 1981–1802 B.C.
Medium
Copper, wood
Dimensions
7.7 cm (3 1/16 in)
Classification
Model adze
Period
Middle Kingdom
Department
Egyptian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Edward S. Harkness, 1917
Accession Number
17.9.23
Art Historical Context
This delicate **Model Adze**, crafted around 1981–1802 B.C. during Egypt's Middle Kingdom (Dynasty 12), the ancient Egyptians' profound belief in provisioning the afterlife. Standing just7.7 cm tall this miniature tool—featuring a polished copper blade hafted to a wooden handle likely placed in a tomb as a symbolic offering. Real adzes were essential woodworking tools for carving statues, boats, and coffins, so models like this ensured the deceased could continue such labors eternally, reflecting the era's renewed focus on order, prosperity, and meticulous funerary practices after turbulent ti...