Food Case Probably Containing a Preserved Pigeon
Description
New Kingdom, Early Dynasty 18, ca. 1550–1479 B.C. Wood, plaster, bitumen. L. 20.5 cm (8 1/16 in.); W. 11 cm (4 5/16 in.); H. 10.5 cm (4 1/8 in.); D. 4.5 cm (1 3/4 in.); Th. 2 cm (13/16 in.). From: Burial of Prince Amenemhat (MMA 1021), inside or near entrance, Royal Cache Valley, Upper Egypt, Thebes, Egypt. Excavation: MMA excavations, 1918–19. Subject: Pigeons. Credit: Rogers Fund, 1919.
AI image analysis GPT-5.4-nano
Machine-generated from the object's image on Jul 2026. Not curatorial; treat deities, names, and signs below as the model's best reading, not authority.
Two similar plaster-covered wooden objects carved in the shape of a standing quadruped/animal legged body, photographed from front (left and right views).
The image shows two separate but matching fragments/views of a small container-like object, each with a human- or animal-like silhouette: a rounded “body” narrowing toward the midsection and four legs, with the lower ends more worn. Both pieces have a white plaster outer surface with extensive age-related soiling, brown stains, and flaking/abrasion; the plaster appears cracked in places and the contours are softened by wear. There are no clearly legible carved hieroglyphs or any visible painted decoration on these views. No metal fittings, inscriptions, or labels are visible. The overall form is consistent with a utilitarian funerary/offerings container element rather than a sculptural statue.
Cross-references (4)
- Wikidata-Q Q116243608 tier-1
- Collection-QID Q160236 tier-2 (wikidata-mediated)
- Inventory-Number 19.3.289a, b tier-2 (wikidata-mediated)
- MET-Object 545678 tier-2 (wikidata-mediated)
About this record's data
- From the source institution — accession, description, dimensions, and dating are as catalogued by Metropolitan Museum of Art — Egyptian Art (Open Access).
- AI-inferred — the image-analysis panel (deities, names, signs) is machine-generated and may be wrong.
- Approximate location — most map points are plotted at the site centroid, not the exact findspot.
- Inferred links — cross-references marked with a match method other than explicit-source-field were matched by us, not stated by the source.