Model Paddling Boat
Unknown Artist
ca. 1981–1975 B.C.
Medium
Wood, paint, plaster, linen twine, linen fabric
Dimensions
L. 132.5 cm (52 3/16 in.), with rudder 138.5 (54 1/2 in.); H. 53 cm (20 7/8 in.); W. 38 cm (14 15/16 in.)
Classification
Boat, funerary, Meketre
Period
Middle Kingdom
Department
Egyptian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund and Edward S. Harkness Gift, 1920
Accession Number
20.3.5
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the bustling world of ancient Egypt with this meticulously crafted **Model Paddling Boat** from the Middle Kingdom's Dynasty 12 (ca. 1981–1975 B.C.). Unearthed from the tomb of Meketre, a high-ranking official near Thebes, it belongs to a famous cache of wooden models depicting everyday life. These miniatures were placed in tombs to magically provide the deceased with essential Nile River transport in the afterlife, ensuring safe passage to the next world amid Egypt's vital waterway culture. Expertly made from wood, with plaster for smooth surfaces, vibrant paints, linen twine for rigging, and linen fabric details, the model captures rowers in mid-action. Measuring over 52 inches long (with rudder) and 20⅞ inches high, its scale and precision reflect advanced carpentry techniques, blending functionality with symbolic ritual. On view in the Met's Egyptian Art galleries (Rogers Fund and Edward S. Harkness Gift, 1920), this boat offers a window into Meketre's prosperous world, where such models blurred art, magic, and daily reality—reminding us how ancient Egyptians paddled toward eternity.