Dwarf lamp stand

A lamp in the shape of a dwarf, found at Kahun. Striking to modern eyes because of its human shape, this short limestone stand was found at Kahun, a town built to accommodate workers on the pyramid of King Senusret II and must date to his reign (c.1877-1870 BC) or not long thereafter. Similar stands – crafted to support a lamp wick or incense burner – are known from the same site, and a close parallel was unearthed during recent excavations in a Middle Kingdom settlement at Memphis. These find-spots suggest a common domestic context for the lamps, although whether they were items of household ritual furniture, or set up in a local chapel or temple, is difficult to prove. The shor