Statuette of a Goddess or Priestess

The finely elaborated, small-sized standing female statue carved from one piece of wood represents a slim, young woman. The painted decoration on the surface has remained in a surprisingly good condition. She wears a shoulder-length wig covered with a white headdress called khat or afnet and adorned with a red band knotted at the rear. The ankle-length dress which gently follows the body contours is painted in white. The skin has a light brownish-yellow tone. The facial features are subtly fashioned. The eyebrows are highly arched, the almond-shaped eyes express seriousness. Her neck is covered by a blue wesekh-collar. The arms are crossed on the breasts, the hands are opened. The wrists are adorned with blue-yellow bracelets. Her dress is decorated with a loosely knotted red belt running along her waist. Despite the lack of any inscription and the typical headdress representing the usual divine attribute referring to her name, she can still be identified with near certainty as an image of Isis or Nephthys. Her twin sister, with whom she must have originally formed a statue group, can obviously be identified with a wooden piece in Brussels, a perfect pendant of the Budapest statuette.

Text: © Éva Liptay