Palette – zoomorphic, Barbary sheep (?) PAL-0561
By Droux, Xavier
, Archaeological context unknown. Before 1922 : Collection of William MacGregor.Hamburg, Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, 1924.53 (G1/2253).
Date : Naqada IIC–D
General date of type pal_bov_1b, see Droux (2019).
Material : Greywacke
Preservation : Fragmentary
Preservation information :
Head and front leg missing; chips on the edges. Traces of plaster or glue on the breaks, suggesting that the missing pieces were once re-attached to the palette, or that a restauration took place in modern times before being removed.
Description
The palette has a mostly rounded shape with added stylised zoomorphic details, most of which are lost, including the head. A small hole is drilled through the back, likely for attaching a string or thong.
Decoration
There is no marked hump on the back. It seems possible that remains of curved horns are still visible just below the break at the neck, suggesting that a Barbary sheep was intended, but this requires confirmation. The back leg appears as a simple, rounded protuberance without details of the hoof; presumably the front leg had a similar shape. The tail is not indicated.
Object use
Traces of use are visible at least on one side, with remains of green malachite on the surface.
Dimensions (cm)
9.5
11.8
0.6
Additional information
pal-bov-1b
Comments
The provenance is assumed based on the inscription "el Kab" near the top of the palette; this inscription was already present when the palette was sold in 1922, and the palette may have been bought at Elkab while coming from a different site of the region, potentially Hierakonpolis.
