God Horus (Harpocrates), 644-30 BCE
Ancient Egyptianexpand_more
Bronze with green patinaexpand_more
The William Hood Dunwoody Fundexpand_more 16.43
On View in Gallery 250expand_more
When the Greeks established dominion over ancient Egypt in 332 BCE, they adopted many of the Egyptian gods—and renamed them. Their new name for the god Horus-the-Child was Harpocrates, and this depiction of him dates from that era of Greek rule, called the Hellenistic period. It shows typical markers of childhood, including the god’s nudity, the side braid, and a finger in his mouth. As a matter of fact, the position of the hand to the lower lip or chin was the physical representation of the hieroglyph for “child.”
Details
- Title
- God Horus (Harpocrates)
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 16.43
- Curator Approved
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