The National Museum of Korea in Yongsan-gu District, Seoul, is currently hosting an exhibition of ancient Egyptian artifacts, on loan from the Brooklyn Museum.
A statuette (above) from Egypt’s Middle Kingdom (2050 B.C.-1800 B.C.) shows the deceased, a person named Si-Hathor, sitting on a plinth.
On many of these small statues, there is a prayer offering carved into the base. However, on Si-Hathor’s statue, the prayer is written on the top of the skirt or tunic, to save the amount of material needed to make the statue.
When such statues are made from expensive materials, the statue is generally left plain. However, with cheaper materials, like limestone used for this statuette, it is often decorated with paint.
The National Museum of Korea will continue the exhibition of ancient Egyptian treasures until April 9.
By Kim Young Shin
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photo: Kim Young Shin
ysk1111@korea.kr
