Thursday, December 16, 2010

Egyptian Blue Faience Hippos




Tiny blue hippo figures were created long ago in Ancient Egypt. To the Egyptians who lived and travelled along the Nile river, hippos were considered to be the most dangerous animals in the world and presented a constant danger! The Egyptians believed that to appease these animals, offerings and charms needed to be given to render them harmless. Tiny hippo figures were made from clay and decorated with plants that live along the river. These figures were also buried in tombs with pharaohs when they died. Visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art website to find out more about William, the famous blue hippo/mascot of the museum! http://www.metmuseum.org/explore/FAQ/htm/willy.htm

4 comments:

  1. Megan,
    I am going to do something with "William" after break. Did the kids draw the hippo themself or did they use a tracer. I really like the results! I looked for that book you have, but they seem to be out of print...bummer. I am going to check the library.

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  2. Do you want to borrow my book? I'd be glad to send it to you or meet you...let me know! The kids used a tracer for the hippo but they drew the lotus flowers themselves. I have a handout that I can give you, too! Let me know about the book!

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  3. Megan,
    Thanks for the kind words on my blog lat week. You are awesome!
    Thanks for offering the book. Can you ship it free from school? Maybe after break you could send it to Dundee elementary? I guess the book is Canadian, and I couldn't even find it on interlibrary loan.
    I hope you are having a lovely break!

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  4. hello. i really loved your hippos and i've decided to try my own version.
    i'm pretty happy with the results:

    http://toata-lumea-picteaza.blogspot.com/2011/01/hipopotami-egipteni.html

    good luck!

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