There are many prominent pieces housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, spread across numerous centuries. Despite this, there is one item that quickly became a symbol of the museum. This is the ancient, bright blue hippopotamus, William! The history of both his name and creation is extremely intriguing. He is believed to be constructed in Egypt between 1961 and 1878 B.C. Like other miniature statues, his purpose was to encourage rebirth in the afterlife. Only seven years after he was excavated in 1910, he became a popular part of the museum’s collection. You may be asking yourself many questions right now. I can almost guarantee you’re wondering where such a name as William came from! It can first be traced back to a story in Punch, a magazine from Britain, published in 1931. Captain H. M. Raleigh, the author, discussed how his family hung up a color print of The Met’s own miniature hippo, later giving him the name William. Both he and his wife, Margery, believed the item not only had aesthetic beauty but a sense of heightened spirituality. It is said that on numerous occasions, the family made mistakes regarding William’s “advice.” If they would not consult him, things would go wrong and take a turn. After one particular incident involving a vacation, the family decided to include William in almost all vital situations and decisions after. Impressed by the situation, The Met republished the story in the Museum’s Bulletin that same year. Shortly after, the classic name of William became popularized. Considering Punch is a magazine centered around satire, it can be pondered as to whether this story occurred. It is indeed proven that Captain Raleigh and his wife did exist. Based on the in-depth explanations of William’s appearance in the story, it is extremely probable that he either owned or had seen a colored image of the hippo. Because Raleigh had a profession of writing humorous stories, it is likely that the story of William his fiction. Today the name is still utilized and can even be seen on the Museum’s label for the hippo’s display. Despite his widespread fame, there is very little that is known regarding William’s history. The main material that he is constructed out of is faience, a medium like ceramics. A prominent aspect of faience is both the color and appearance. A translucent glimmer and glaze, usually in green or blue, is a great indicator. Although it is mostly made of silica, faience is composed of other materials, such as lime, ground quartz, and additional salts. The Egyptians utilized many color variants for glazes, although the most seen is the turquoise type. Beneath the colored glaze, the work was generally stained with lotuses. The plant had many meanings. It portrayed the swampy environments in which the animal habited and symbolized rebirth and prosperity. After the piece was glazed and dry, the work had to be fired in a kiln, producing a bright appearance. Based upon the belief of the ancient Egyptians, hippopotami were considered extremely dangerous, causing obstacles for river boats. It was also believed that the hostile animal may be in the rivers during the adventure to the afterlife. This work was half of a pair discovered in association with the chapel tomb of Senbi II at Meir. Three out of four of William’s legs were repaired, as it is probable that they were purposely broken to fend off the creature in the afterlife. It was an aspect of Senbi’s burial materials, including a coffin, models of food and boats, and a canopic box, currently housed in The Met as well.
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