Fragment of a Statuette with a Monkey

The original form of the statuette fragment is doubtful, but it clearly shows the left leg of a male figure striding forward and two smaller figures: a squatting man and a monkey. The male figure, depicted in a slightly atypical pose compared to the ancient Egyptian canon, in high relief, is holding an unidentifiable object. The statuette may date from the Third Intermediate Period or later.

The monkey is a Chlorocebus aethiops, or grivet, an African savanna monkey. The animal has been known in Egypt since prehistoric times, and from the New Kingdom, it was certainly imported from the South and from ancient Punt, i.e., today’s Eritrea. The grivet is often portrayed as a pet of the female elite and serves as a decoration for personal items, when in reality, keeping the animal unleashed is dangerous. Based on the behaviour of the males, the monkey may have symbolised masculinity, on the other hand, females protect their offsprings for a long period of time, so displaying it in a magical way could provide support in the reproductive cycle both in this world, in birth, and the afterlife, in rebirth. It is often shown with the fruit of the dum palm, also from Punt. The fruit was often connected to a funerary context, symbolising masculinity.