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Head of a Female Figurine

Creator Name

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Unknown

Cultural Context

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Christian

Date

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Byzantine Empire

About the work

Curationist LogoCurationist Object Description
Archaeologists found numerous figurine fragments, dating from the 4th to 7th century CE, in Coptic Christian homes in Kharga Oasis. The homes contained niches on the walls, possibly for idols and offerings like this one.

Copts are an ancient Egyptian ethnoreligious community who were at one time a minority, however they currently exist as the largest Christian community in the Middle East. Originally, pre-Islamic Egyptians who spoke the Coptic language were identified as "qibṭ." After splits in favor of Islam or Christian faiths, the Arabic word was westernized to Copt, denoting Egyptian Christians.

This head which belongs to the body of a female figure has a hole at its top indicating it may have at one time been hung or worn as an amulet.
Metropolitan Museum of Art Object Description
Statuette

Work details

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Title

Head of a Female Figurine

Creator

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Unknown

Worktype

Ceramics

Cultural Context

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Christian
Coptic

Material

Earthenware, pierced and slashed decoration

Dimensions

Overall: 1 11/16 x 1 1/4 x 1 1/8 in. (4.3 x 3.1 x 2.9 cm);
depth: 2.9centimetre;
height: 4.3centimetre;
width: 3.1centimetre

Technique

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Language

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Date

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Byzantine Empire
4th–7th century

Provenance

Rogers Fund, 1925

Style Period

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Rights

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Public Domain
Public Domain

Inscription

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Location

Kharga Oasis, Byzantine Egypt

Subjects

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Head; Fertility; Amulet; Woman
Heads; Women

Topic

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Fertility

Curationist Metadata Contributors

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Amanda Acosta

All Works in Curationist’s archives can be reproduced and used freely. How to attribute this Work:

Unknown, Head of a Female Figurine, 4th–7th century. Metropolitan Museum of Art. This disembodied head was found in a Coptic, Christian home, as well as its body, and appears to have been deliberately destroyed. Public Domain.

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