Statuette of a Baboon

As the hieroglyphic writing around all four sides of its base tells us, this statuette was dedicated to the god Thoth and inscribed for a man named Paser. It may have stood in a temple to the god (perhaps at Hermopolis or Karnak). It depicts a baboon squatting with its hands resting on its knees. The monkey’s long tail curves around its proper right side. As is usual for Egyptian baboon sculptures, the genitalia project between the animal’s feet, emphasizing his sexual potency and prowess.

The baboon could represent Thoth, a moon god and god of writing and science. Since the inscription reveals that Paser was a scribe, he would have viewed Thoth as his patron. The inscription emphasizes Paser’s silence and good character, giving us a sense of the ideal temperament for scribes in the Egyptian world.