While every year we acquire new and amazing objects for the collection, this year in particular we have received some truly special pieces. One such being a little Egyptian boatman, ca 2040-1802 BCE (Middle Kingdom period). It is now the oldest piece in the collection, as well as the only one representing ancient Egyptian culture.
Our little boatman is a hand-carved, wooden figure with articulated arms that probably held oars at some point. It became common practice in the Middle Kingdom for boats to be placed in tombs manned by little figures such as ours, as the deceased would need them to get around in the afterlife, just as they had in life.
This piece is an extraordinary addition to the collection and opens up the story of a whole other culture to us. I have always been fascinated by ancient Egypt and am beyond excited for us to have this. To look at something like this and realize that it has been around for 4000 years is mind-boggling. A HUGE thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Clifford P. Willoz, Jr. and Jeanne for acquiring and donating this piece to us. And if you are interested in reading more about our boatman, there will be a write-up in the next issue of Ahoy!