homoarchaeologicus:

Faience statuette of a hippopotamus, Middle Kingdom - 12th Dynasty, 1981–1885 BC, Egypt.

This well-formed statuette of a hippopotamus demonstrates the Egyptian artist’s appreciation for the natural world. It was molded in faience, a ceramic material made of ground quartz. Beneath the blue-green glaze, the body was painted with the outlines of river plants, symbolizing the marshes in which the animal lived. - metmuseum.org

I have a replica of this and I love it! My dad brought it back from a business trip. They went to an exhibit about Egypt in some of their free time. The ladies that he works with who were also there were shocked that I would like this. Too bad they don’t know that hippos have been my favorite animals since I was about 5. :D