Lot 2
Egypt, Late Dynastic to Ptolemaic Period, ca. 664 to 30 BCE. A beautiful and quite sizeable cast-bronze sculpture of the goddess Isis-Hathor seated with her right hand held to her bare breast ready to suckle the infant Horus (also called Harpokrates) seated in her lap, whom she supports with herleft hand in a maternal manner. She wears an ankle-length sheath over her lower body that accentuates the contours of her form, her traditional vulture headdress, and a horned crown with a central sun disk she adopted from the goddess Hathor. Horus is shown nude with arms at his sides and a minimalist visage adorned by his incredibly long side lock of youth, indicating his divine and royal status. Isis's feet rest on a petite plinth from which a short tang extends for attachment. As a cult figure from this time period, Isis is often shown as a mother goddess as we see here. A touching portrayal, probably intended for a niche in a temple or a grave. Size: 2.6" W x 8.1" H (6.6 cm x 20.6 cm); 9.4" H (23.9 cm) on included custom stand.
During the Ptolemaic period, Isis/Hathor, Serapis, and Horus/Harpocrates formed the Triad of Alexandria, a cult for worshipping the three deities that combined Greek and Roman gods with Egyptian ones. Ptolemy introduced this worship as a way to unify the cultures under his rule. Isis/Hathor was associated with childbirth and fertility and Horus/Harpocrates was the god of silence, secrets, and confidentiality.
Cf. Metropolitan Museum of Art (45.4.4), Harvard Art Museums (1919.527), British Museum (EA60756), Brooklyn Museum (37.371E), and the Museum of Fine Arts Boston (27.985).
Provenance: private Los Angeles, California, USA collection, acquired before 2000
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#179421
- Condition: Some abrasions and scratches to surface, but otherwise, intact and excellent with rich patina throughout and nice remaining detail.
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