Ugly Object of the Month — December 2019 – The Kelsey Blog
On 12/03/2019 10:18 AM, leschram wrote:
Ugly Object of the Month — December 2019
By Caroline Roberts, Conservator
This month's Ugly Object is a recurring character. I'll give you some clues: he's short, bearded, and has prominent ears. He looks a little grumpy, but deep down he's a really good guy. He'll go to bat for you in times of need — especially if you're an expectant mom or a young child.
By now I'm sure you've figured out who I'm talking about. He's the one and only Bes!
Terracotta figurine of Bes. Roman Egypt (Fayum), 1st–2nd century CE. Height: 21.7 cm. Museum purchase (David Askren, 1925). KM 4960.
The terracotta Bes featured this month was pointed out to me in the galleries by Scott Meier, who heads the Kelsey's exhibition department. Scott knows the collection well, and when I asked him what he thought of this particular Bes he remarked, "It is beautiful in its ugliness." I couldn't agree more. Sure, this Bes is missing an ear and a chunk of his feathered crown has popped off, and I dare anyone who isn't a scholar of Graeco-Roman Egypt to identify the lumpy thing he's holding in his hands (I checked our database, where it's described as a club or some sort of instrument). But despite these issues, the object is undeniable in its Bes-ness. Like most Bes figurines, this one faces forward. He looks you straight in the eye as if to say, "Yeah, I'm Bes, and I'm bringing some power to this situation, whatever it might be. So get used to it!" Bes is direct. I like that. He is definitely the sort of deity I would want in my corner.
Come pay Bes a visit at the Kelsey. You'll find him in our first-floor galleries, across from the Karanis house case.
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