This dog strains every muscle, leaping forward in an incredibly dynamic pose. Behind its forelegs, isa lever. If this is pushed up and down, the dog opens and closes its mouth as if barking.

The Egyptians kept dogs for many of the same reasons that we do—for hunting, as watchdogs or status symbols, even as pets. Often, they gave dogs names like Blacky, Son-of-the-Moon, and even Good-for-Nothing. But dogs could also have a deeper symbolic meaning. This little carving was probably considered a magical object. In Egyptian art, leaping dogs often join the pharaoh in a battle against chaotic forces. This masterful sculpture could help the pharaoh continue to uphold universal order, even in the afterlife.

Behind the dog, there’s an elegant gazelle. Her smooth lustrous body is carved from a single piece of ivory. Around the hooves, images of desert plants are incised into the wood and filled with blue pigment. The animal’s horns are missing.

Gazelles lived under extremely harsh conditions in the arid desert at the edge of the Nile valley, so Egyptians venerated them for their powers of strength and renewal. In fact, gazelles were so honored that they were sometimes preserved for eternity. Elsewhere in the Egyptian galleries, you’ll find the dried body of a real gazelle that was buried with the mummy of a lady.