Sometime before 1813, The Hunterian acquired one male and two female clay figurines. All have the typically Predynastic (late 4th millennium) bird-like head, but no provenance is known for any of them. Through close analysis enabled by microphotography and non-destructive pXRF (X-ray Fluorescence), an ongoing University of Glasgow project led by Angela McDonald is seeking to understand the materials and mechanics of how the figurines were made in the hopes of rediscovering the intention that lies behind their enigmatic forms.
Dr Angela McDonald earned her doctorate in Egyptology from the University of Oxford and has been teaching in the University of Glasgow since 2003. She is currently based in Classics. A linguist at heart, she has been drawn more and more into material studies through her work with The Hunterian’s Egyptian collection. She can’t resist a mystery.
