Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (18.2006(2008))

TELL EL-LARKHA

EGYPT

this figure as one of the early rulers shown
during a sed jubilee. In early Egyptian art,
the decorated cloak is reserved for rulers
(i.e., statues of Ninetjer, Khasekhem and
Djoser), the hand in these cases holding
royal insignia. The hand of the Tell el-
Farkha figure could have once held a heka-
scepter. The absence of a crown is not
conclusive as the heb-sed representations of
Niuserre showed him in nothing but an
apron and headscarf (Kaiser 1971: 87-
105), indicating that early rulers could be
depicted without a crown. Consequently, it
can be assumed that the figure from Tell
el-Farkha represented an anonymous ruler
during his sed jubilee.
One of the best known representations
of prostrate captives in Egyptian art comes
from the set found at Tell el-Farkha in
2001 (Chlodnicki, Cialowicz 2002a: PI.
IX,2). Similar images, although of worse
workmanship, are known from Tell
Ibrahim Awad and Abydos (Belova,
Sherkova 2002: Fig. 39; Schlogl 1978: 28),
but none is a direct analogy for the figures
of captive figures discovered in the last
season (I.D.1-2). The theme was common
in Pre- and Early Dynastic art. The best
examples are the expressive figurines from
Hierakonpolis (Quibell, Petrie 1900:
Pis XI-XII). Representations of conquered
enemies are known also from Abydos
(Schlogl 1978: 29) and Tell Ibrahim Awad,
where the so-called idol is doubtlessly
a very schematic representation of a captive
with his arms bent at the elbows and
bound (Belova, Sherkova 2002: Fig. 106).
The dwarf figures from Tell el-Farkha
(I.C.1-9; II. 1) are apparently the most
numerous set ever discovered in Egypt.
They are unmatched for the workmanship
of most, the realism in depicting body
deformation and facial expression. The
oldest known are the naked female figures
from the former MacGregor collection

(Naville 1900: Pis IV-V), representing
bald-headed and large-eyed women with
deformed bodies, short arms and bandy
legs. A faience figurine from Elephantine
is also considered a dwarf because of
disproportionately short legs and large
head (Dreyer 1986: 99, ELK. 1024).
Regarded as dwarves are two figurines
from Hierakonpolis (Quibell, Petrie 1900:
Pis XI, XVIII). The first, of bone, is
a naked, bandy-legged woman with big
belly and sagging breasts, her hands
pressed to her belly, a heavy wig reaching
down to the middle of the back. The other
figure, made of limestone, featured short,
thin and bandy legs, weak arms and a large
head. Two figures from Tell Ibrahim Awad,
both of ivory, can be treated as
representations of dwarves (Belova,
Sherkova 2002: Figs 100-102). One
appears to have been sitting with knees
drawn up and one hand resting on the
preserved knee. The body proportions do
not suggest a dwarf, but the slightly
grotesque cast of the features justifies the
opinion. A conclusive identification of
dwarf figures from the Tell Ibrahim Awad
set will be possible after a better
publication is made available. A figure of
black steatite, apparently from one of the
graves at Abusir el-Meleq, is unquestio-
nably a representation of a dwarf, female
according to Vandier (1952: 464), but
possibly male judging by the short hair
and the waistband worn by this
schematically modeled figure with bent
knees and arms crossed on the chest.
A few dozen figures depicting children
with a finger to the lips come from
Elephantine, but they are mostly standing,
a type unknown from Tell el-Farkha. There
is also a dozen or so figures, mostly of
faience, representing naked boys
(sometimes in a loincloth) sitting on the
ground with their knees drawn up, a finger

145