Description

This figurine, made from intricately carved mammal ivory, represents a naked woman with dwarfism and a plaited hairstyle. It represents a member of the early Royal Court of the Egyptian pharaoh. It is part of the free Ashmolean Museum display "Fashioning Bodies in the Ancient World", curated by Kyle Lewis Jordan (Curating for Change Fellow, Ashmolean Museum and Pitt Rivers Museum), running from 10th November 2023 - 8th May 2024.

In 1897-98, archaeologists James Quibell and Frederick Green - students of the Egyptologist Flinders Petrie - were excavating the Main Temple Enclosure of the site of Hierakonpolis, one of the earliest urban centres in Egypt and the "birthplace" of ancient Egyptian kingship. During their excavations, Quibell and Green discovered a ritual deposit which contained hundreds of artefacts, including some of the earliest depictions of Egyptian kings. Amongst these artefacts, they found many ivory figurines depicting human bodies, including some of the earliest depictions of people we would describe today as "disabled", including this woman with dwarfism. It's believed these figurines depict the King's courtiers, due to their intricate detail and shared hairstyles, showing both a unity but also a diversity in the form of their bodies.

Community curation: As part of my Master's thesis, I studied the Hierakonpolis Ivories - along with other evidence - in order to explore why we see evidence for disabled people in early Court Society in Egypt. My general conclusion is that the inclusion of disabled people is deliberate, not just for the presentation and performance of power, but that disabled people themselves bring unique experiences and perspectives which a King would find valuable. - Kyle Lewis Jordan, Curating for Change Fellow, Ashmolean Museum and Pitt Rivers Museum