Taweret was a goddess asociated with childbirth and was usually shown, as here, in the form of a pregnant hippopotamus with the face of a lion. The inclusions within the stone must have made this sculpture particularly difficult to work. It was carved out of red breccia in the Late Period (664-343 BC).

This object is part of "Scan The World". Scan the World is a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory, through which we are creating a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks and landmarks from across the globe for the public to access for free. Scan the World is an open source, community effort, if you have interesting items around you and would like to contribute, email stw@myminifactory.com to find out how you can help.