Description:

Egypt, Ptolemaic to Roman periods, ca. 332 to 30 BCE. A mold-made terracotta votive of Harpocrates, god of silence, secrets, and confidentiality, with one hand raised to his mouth as if whispering, "Shhh." During the Ptolemaic period, Isis-Hathor, Serapis, and Harpocrates formed the Triad of Alexandria, and in 2011 the Egyptian office of archaeology announced that they had found the ruins of a Ptolemaic temple containing many similar figures. British Museum reports from Naukratis, located near Alexandria, show the remains of terracotta molds for making models just like this one; they were made from a dark red-brown Nile silt in vast workshops. These figures were made for locals, but reflected the influence of Greek naturalistic styles in their depictions of the deities. Archaeologists have found them in domestic contexts. Size: 3.25" W x 6.25" H (8.3 cm x 15.9 cm)

Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection

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#139705

  • Condition: Expected surface wear with normal softening to details, but the imagery is still legible. Traces of white pigmentation remain.

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June 20, 2019 7:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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