An Egyptian turquoise glazed composition hippopotamus, Second Intermediate Period, circa 1786-1590 B.C., modelled with bulging hooded eyes and small pricked ears, the rounded plump body decorated in purple-blue pigment with lotus flowers and marsh plants with hunting nets arranged in an 'X' motif across the back, a lotus flower emanating from the short 'v' shaped tail, standing on squat legs, 5¼in (13cm) long, 2¼in (5.5cm) high. Provenance: Property of a Lady; The Adda Family Collection, formed 1920s-30s, thence by descent. Note: Due to its associations with hunting and fertility the hippopotamus was seen as both threatening and protective. The decoration of marsh plant and lotus motifs can be explained as a reflection of its habitat as well as symbols of rebirth. Such figures may have been ritually broken to control the dangerous aspect of the hippopotamus; for a discussion on this subject cf. S. D'Auria et al, Mummies and Magic, the funerary arts of ancient Egypt, Boston, 1988, p 127, no 58. The above example has been damaged at the snout. Equally the imagery of the hippopotamus caught in the crossed nets portrays the animal in a subdued state.Accompanied by a copy of a thermoluminescence report with date range of 2100-3300 years ago.Face restored