Head of Harpocrates; Egypt, Late Period, 664–323 B.C.

Head of Harpocrates; Egypt, Late Period, 664–323 B.C.
Bronze.
Provenance: collection of Dr. L. Benguerel Godó, acquired from the Pijoan Collection (Barcelona) in the 1960s.
Measurements: 6 cm high.
Provenance: Family legacy of Ramon Martí Alsina and Ricard Martí Aguiló. Archaeological collection formed from the 1950s by successive generations of the family, through acquisitions in European galleries and auction houses.

A bronze head in the style of a round sculpture, depicting the Egyptian god Harpocrates. As the child form of Horus, Harpocrates was worshipped beginning in the New Kingdom and symbolizes the weak sun of dawn or the winter sun, naked and unprotected. Just as this sun transforms into a powerful celestial body, the frail child will become the adult Horus—armed and warlike—who will avenge the death of his father, Osiris.