Cosmetic Vessel in the Shape of a Dwarf in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, December 2007

Cosmetic Vessel in the Shape of a Dwarf
Dynasty 18, reign of Akhenaten, ca. 1353-1336 BC
Egyptian alabaster (calcite)

Accession # 17.190.1963

The twisting motion of the dwarf carrying a heavy storage jar on his shoulder defies the usual rigid frontality of Egyptian statuary, making this a true piece of sculpture in the round. Such an artistic liberty was acceptable for whimsical representations of anonymous servants but never would have been allowed in formal sculpture, even in the more expressive art of the Amarna period.

Text from the Metropolitan Museum of Art label.