Footed Bowl

Description

One of the most unusual—and favorite—objects in the Metropolitan Museum’s Egyptian Collection is a red-polished ware bowl with supports shaped like human feet. Although the human feet add a touch of levity to its appearance, they were not created solely as an element of humor. This ceramic form should most likely be read as the three-dimensional hieroglyph for the word “w’b,” meaning pure or clean. Our reproduction is a copy of a bowl from the Predynastic period (ca. 3750–3550) in Egypt.

Terracotta. For decorative use only. 3 1/2''H; 5 1/4'' diam.

Art History

Excavated footed bowls were often found in cemeteries as an offering of clear water. The bowl tips forward so that purified water could be spilled out onto the ground.