Egyptian Faience Pendant Couchant Desert Hare

Egypt, Ptolemaic Period, ca. 332 to 30 BCE. A mold-formed pendant of a desert hare covered in pale blue-green glaze. The hare lays couchant atop an integral plinth with its forelegs extended in front of its streamlined body, its back legs tucked beneath its haunches, and a petite tail protruding off the verso. Its head is raised in attention, with a gaunt face bearing beady eyes and bulging jowls, and an enormous pair of furry ears swept back atop almost the entire body; a suspension hole is drilled laterally beneath the ears. Size: 1.9" L x 0.65" W x 1.125" H (4.8 cm x 1.7 cm x 2.9 cm)

The desert hare was a fascinating creature within the Egyptian ecosystem. According to Egyptologist Dorothea Arnold, "Among the small animals of the Egyptian desert is the desert hare, Lepus capensis. In ancient times it was not considered worthy prey for princely hunters, and in representations it appears only occasionally among the spoils of the hunt. In many hunting scenes, however, it can be found in the background as part of the landscape. The tomb relief of Ra-m-kaj, for example, includes a desert hare in much the same position as the one that forms this amulet. It crouches low to the ground, ears flattened, intent on eluding the hunter's notice. The desert hare's sand-colored fur . . . serves it well as camouflage. If detected, however, the hare uses its great speed to help it escape. The hare's amuletic role is not known for certain. Ancient Greek and Roman authors believed that hares could sleep with their eyes open and reproduce without copulation. If these were also Egyptian beliefs, the hare might have represented extreme vigilance or the primeval deity's self-creating power." (Arnold, Dorothea. "An Egyptian Bestiary." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, Spring 1995, Vol. LII, no. 4, p. 23). For a similar example, see Christies, October 26, 2004 lot 140 which sold for 5019 British Pounds.

Cf. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 74.51.4505

Provenance: private Toronto, Ontario, Canada collection, by descent, acquired in Egypt in 1894 to 1896

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#167186
Condition Report: Chips to plinth, tail, and both ears, with softening to some finer details around face and incised ribs, minor pitting, and light fading to glaze pigment. Nice preservation to overall form and glaze pigment.