Middle Kingdom, 2133-1797 BC. A blue composition advancing hippopotamus; open-mouthed; series of skin folds at neck; anatomical features including eyes, ears, muzzle, cheeks, toes and teeth picked out in black, or manganese oxide, as are the line drawings of Nilotic flora and fauna covering its body, including a lotus flower and stem which follows the line of the animal's tail and the line of its nose; cluster of spots above forelegs. Cf. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Edward S. Harkness, 1917 (17.9.1), for the famous William the Hippo, mascot of The Met, a comparable example; cf. Christie's, A Peaceable Kingdom, The Leo Mildenberg Collection of Ancient Animals, London, 26th-27th October 2004, pp. 102-105, for a comparable example. 282 grams, 15cm (6"). From the private collection of a medical professional; acquired on the French art market; formerly in the collection of Mohammad Al Azam, acquired 1930. As with comparable examples of its type, this hippopotamus may originally have been placed in a tomb as part of an Egyptian burial ritual believed to magically guarantee the rebirth of the deceased. [A video of this lot will be available on Timeline Auction website]