Figure of a Baboon Playing a Lute

Figure of a Baboon Playing a Lute

Third Intermediate Period – Late Period, Dynasty 22 - Dynasty 26, 943–525 BC

Egypt

Faience
6 cm High x 2.8 cm x 1.9 cm

2018.010.564

Animals playing musical instruments appear in Egyptian art from the Old Kingdom to the Roman Period. The baboon crouches on his hind quarters and plays a lute, an instrument that was introduced in the New Kingdom. Composed of spotted faience, this figurine likely dates to the Third Intermediate Period or later when workshops of spotted faience operated in the eastern Delta.

A recent interpretation of figurines depicting a baboon playing an instrument suggest they relate to the myth of “The Return of the Faraway Goddess.” In this myth, the feline goddess Bastet was angry at the sun god Re, and left Egypt for Nubia. Re sent the baboon god Thoth to entice Bastet with fables. Musicians and dancers accompanied Bastet back to Egypt, and her arrival brought good fortune to Egypt.

Ex collection Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener, late 19th century- early 20th century.  Georges Ricard purchased the faience baboon for the Senusret Collection on 1 February 1975 from Jean-Francois Mignon, who bought and sold objects privately in Aix-en Provence. He started his career under Roger F. Galliano, a member of the Conciliation Commission at Central Customs in Paris, certified expert of the Chamber of Auctioneers of France and Judicial Officer of Geneva.

Gift of the Georges Ricard Foundation

Parallels and References:
New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 44.4.17

Emerit, Sibylle, 2013. Music and Musicians. In Willeke Wendrich (ed.), UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology, Los Angeles.