Statuette of Mut, Wife of Amun

Artist Unidentified

Period New Kingdom Period (Ancient Egyptian, 1550–1070 BCE)

Dynasty Dynasty 20 (Ancient Egyptian, 1186–1070 BCE)

Place of OriginEgypt, reportedly from Karnak (Thebes)

Date20th Dynasty (1186-1070 BCE)

Dimensions9 5/8 in. (24.4 cm)

MediumSolid cast bronze

ClassificationSculpture

Credit LineGift of Edward Drummond Libbey

Object number

1906.106

On View

Toledo Museum of Art (2445 Monroe Street), Gallery, 02, Classic

DescriptionThis bronze figure represents the goddess Mut, striding forward with her left foot advanced. She wears a tight-fitting sheath dress and the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt atop a vulture headdress. Her arms are preserved: the right hangs at her side and the left is bent. A tripartite wig frames her face, and the surface shows a dark patina from early cleaning and treatment. The inscription on the base reads: “Mut, the daughter of the Sun, lady of the heavens, giving life, sanctity, long endurance, great power, for her it is done by Nesi-Khonsu, daughter of Nakht, born of the lady Thower.”

Label TextThis statuette represents Mut, a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion and a key figure in the Theban Triad alongside Amun and their son, Khonsu. Mut, whose name means "mother," symbolized divine motherhood, power, and protection. She is often depicted wearing the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt, emphasizing her role as a queen and protector of the pharaoh. In her iconography, Mut may also be shown with a vulture headdress or as a lioness, aligning her with fierce protective deities like Sekhmet.Published ReferencesLuckner, Kurt T., "The art of Eygpt, Part 2" Toledo Museum of Art Museum News, new series, vol. 14, no. 3, Fall 1971, p. 69, repr. fig. 10.

Peck, William H., Sandra E. Knudsen and Paula Reich, Egypt in Toledo: The Ancient Egyptian Collection at the Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo, Toledo Museum of Art, 2011, p. 63, repr. (col.).

Exhibition HistoryToledo Museum of Art, The Mummies: From Egypt to Toledo, February 3- May 6, 2018.