The Met Store Footed Bowl Mini Sculpture

This amusing mini sculpture evokes a simple, round bowl (ca. 3900–3650 B.C.) in The Met collection. With two feet solidly attached to its underside, it is tipped slightly forward as if to offer its contents. During the Predynastic Period, ancient Egyptian potters created a wide variety of ceramic vessels, including this unusual type with supports shaped like human feet. Made from Nile clay, the bowl has a smooth, polished surface, giving it a light sheen. The bowl standing on feet is very similar in form to the Egyptian hieroglyph meaning “to bring.”