Day 14 - Sleeping nude woman

January 29, 2018

This room (113) makes me wonder why these objects are exhibited in an art museum rather than a museum of archaeology (although of course there is no such museum in New York City), since many of them have a homely, almost crude quality. They include: rough clay models of ancient houses, both one- and two-story (both with staircases leading to the roof, where people could sleep on hot nights); a wooden model of a man driving a team of oxen pulling a plow; many small figures of hippos amd monkeys; and musical instruments that appear to be carved of ivory or bone and that are shaped like lower arms. (I cannot fathom how these last are played, unless they are possibly plectra for stringed instruments.) There are also, to be sure, a couple of elaborate and lovely gold, turquoise, and carnelian necklaces. But much of what is here seems less ornate, and an explanatory sign discusses ancient Egypt's three-tiered class structure. I suppose the easy answer to my initial question is, "We dug it up, we're displaying it."

One object that immediately attracts me is the sleeping figure of a nude woman, about 7" long, carved of stone, and unpainted. She reclines on her side on a long bench, her head supported by a stand. The effectiveness of the display is enhanced by the wooden headstand shown right behind the figure. She has large breasts and wide hips and a narrow waist - it makes me think of Indian sculptures that display the female form in a similar way. She seems very peacefully asleep - but she's wearing a wig! How comfortable could that be to sleep in?

Anyone visiting the museum would, of course, ask herself whether all these objects should be in Egypt rather than the Met. Maybe in principle the answer is yes, absolutely, but given the country's political instability,it doesn't seem so awful that they are here instead, in a place where they won't be looted and that can afford to mantain them. That said, more captions in this room would be welcome.