Set of Six Bronze Age Ostrich Eggs, 2700 BCE - 2100 BCE
Egg Shell
14.7 x 11.4 cm
5 3/4 x 4 1/2 in
5 3/4 x 4 1/2 in
FF.036
Further images
Throughout antiquity, the ostrich was esteemed as a noble bird, prized for its size, its speed, its feathers and its eggs. The pharaohs of Egypt are depicted hunting the ostrich,...
Throughout antiquity, the ostrich was esteemed as a noble bird, prized for its size, its speed, its feathers and its eggs. The pharaohs of Egypt are depicted hunting the ostrich, and fans made from the tail feathers have been valued because of their unusual size and perfect shape. In the Biblical era, the rare eggs were something turned into offering vessels or lamps for sacred shrines. Who gave these gifts to some unknown god, hoping to win the favor of the deity? These graceful objects act like a key to the past, opening the doors of the imagination.