Palette – zoomorphic, hartebeest PAL-0014
By Droux, Xavier
, Archaeological context unknown. 2005 : Purchased by the Kunsthistorisches Museum.Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum, AE INV 10243.
Date : Naqada IIA–B
General date of type pal_bov_2a, see Droux (2019).
Material : Greywacke
Preservation : Intact
Description
The palette has a mostly ovoid shape with added stylised zoomorphic details. The hartebeest is shown standing, with its head raised. A small hole is drilled through the back, likely for attaching a string or thong.
Decoration
The horns are perfectly preserved, lyre-shaped, and seen frontally, as is characteristic of the hartebeest. As with other examples of this type, the horns are not connected with one another. A small ear protrudes behind the head. A shallow depression drilled on the surface of the palette represents the eyes; it was perhaps originally inlaid if this object is authentic.
There is a small hump at the back before the junction with the neck. The legs appear as two angular, stylised protuberances The tail is not indicated.
Dimensions (cm)
8.5
13
Additional information
pal_bov_2a
Comments
Palettes of shape-type pal_bov_2 are all carved in the shape of the hartebeest, although identification is sometimes tentative; sub-type 2a seems to pre-date sub-type 2b; see Droux (2019); this assumption is based on stylistic considerations since no palette of sub-type 2b comes from a known, precise archaeological context. The authenticity of this artefact is questionable. It may be a modern copy of PAL-0016. The way the horns were made is suspicious: it seems that the space between them was carved away instead of resulting from a circular perforation. Moreover, although they are lyre-shaped as expected for this type, the horns have an outline that is very regular and smoooth, instead of angular. It is unfortunate that the modern history of the piece is unknown before 2005, at least insofar as it has been published.
