Egyptian Faience Hippo, Middle Kingdom Period, 3800 - 1710 BC.
Faience is a type of ceramic with a high concentration of quartz. When fired it turns a bright blue. While the Ancient Egyptians considered the male hippo very dangerous the female was thought to bring luck in maternity. The lotus flower and other plants that decorate the body represent the river where the hippo lives.
Also see William at the Met.