Fertility figurine

The clay and limestone sculptures represent a well-defined group of female figurines, each depicting a nude woman lying on a model bed or couch. This type appears to have been introduced during the late Eighteenth Dynasty and continued to be used until the Late Period. Based on the style, the crudely-fashioned limestone figurine with a naked woman in relief lying on a couch is considered the Late Period counterpart of the New Kingdom type. The right arm of the woman is lying by the side of the body, whereas the left is bent with the hand placed near the right breast reminiscent of the posture of nursing. The woman is placed off-center to leave room for the figure of an infant, which, however, was not modelled or painted on the Budapest figurine.
According to the prevailing theory, these objects should be termed as votive fertility figurines that may have been deposited not only in tombs but in domestic shrines and in temples of Hathor, with the purpose of promoting successful conception and rearing of children.