Female Offering Bearer

Description

The offering bearer wears a basic wraparound kalasiris dress and a strap that connects to the dress over her left shoulder. It is not known whether straps on ancient Egyptian dresses were designed as a part of the garment or were separate attachments for fashionable or utilitarian purposes. Ancient Egyptian illustrations typically identify women who wore this garment with a strap as servants, whereas artisans depicted men of all socioeconomic levels wearing the
version for men.

Provenance

Perhaps Meir. Purchased in Egypt by Lucy Olcott Perkins through Henry W. Kent

Female Offering Bearer

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2000–1801 BCE

Accession Number

1914.602

Medium

painted wood, figure of tamarisk(?), base of sycamore fig

Dimensions

Overall: 25.8 x 7.9 x 12.2 cm (10 3/16 x 3 1/8 x 4 13/16 in.)

Classification

Wood

Museum

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland, United States

Credit Line

Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust