Egyptian - Statue of Taweret - Walters 22223

Ancient Egyptians believed the goddess Taweret, whose name translates as "the Great One," offered protection to women during pregnancy and childbirth. She is represented as a hippopotamus with a swollen belly, pendulous human breasts, the limbs of a lion, and the back and tail of a crocodile. Taweret was a benevolent deity and was commonly depicted on amulets. Underscoring her function as a protector, she holds the hieroglyph "sa," meaning protection, in each hand, (the cartouches on her shoulders were added at a later date, and have so far escaped a definitive reading). Although her cult gained great importance, she had no temples of her own.