Day 28 - Head of Bes


March 5, 2018

The small and not-so-small objects in Galley 127 span some 550 years, from roughly 950 to  400 B.C.  I guess I could think of that as comparable to the time since Michelangelo's birth or the voyages of Columbus. (I was about to write "discovery of America," but I realize that would be very non-PC.) There are well over 100 small objects and amulets; a caption helpfully reminds us that, like the ancient Egyptians, we wear and carry amulets today (crosses and chais, rabbit's feet and four-leaf clovers).

 The object I want to write about is a 2 and 1/2 inch high sculpted head of Bes. (The photograph is probably larger than the head itself.)  He's immediatly recognizable by his grotesque features-- ears that stick out, flattened nose, and open mouth - and (as the caption says) by his feathered headdress and the lion's ruff around his neck. 

 Bes protects women and children in childbirth; he also protects households from evil spirits. I wonder if, with his wide-open mouth,he is supposed to look fearsome, so that his appearance wards off evil-doers. But as soon as I walked into the gallery, I saw this image, and it made me laugh out loud - that's why I chose it. (Of course, maybe I laughed because I recognized it, but I think I genuinely find it funny-looking.) 

 And really, how can you have childbirth without sex, and how can you have sex (procreative, mutually enjoyable sex, anyway) without laughter? Laughter when things don't go exactly as planned in bed and when they do, laughter at the pleasure, laughter about being with someone who affords you that pleasure. Actually, Bes' tongue strikes me as pretty lascivious!

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