'MacGregor Man' from Naqada Region, Late Predynastic.
This polished black basalt figure of a bearded male wearing a cap and penis sheath was once in the collection of the Revd Wiliam MacGregor, and is said to have been found in the region of Naqada. The authenticity of this unique sculpture has been questioned, but several aspects of its dress and pose find parallels in early figurative art, such as the Hierakonpolis ivories and the Min Colossi. It is possible that stone and ivory tags and tusks decorated with bearded heads are precursors of 'MacGregor Man'.
Although MacGregor Man may have come from a late Predynastic burial, it is perhaps more likely that like the Hierakonpolis ivories, he was set up in a temple, possibly at Naqada or Hierakonpolis.
