Roman-Egyptian bust of Serapis, 1st–2nd centuries AD

Roman-Egyptian bust of Serapis. Alexandria, 1st–2nd century AD.
Bronze.
In good condition, with a green patina and azurite deposits under the chin. It has a casting defect under the beard on the left side. The eyes may have been inlaid.
Provenance: Gustave Mustaki, Alexandria, Egypt; exported from Egypt to the United Kingdom under license c. 1950 / Elsa MacLellan, Portsmouth, United Kingdom; by descent from the aforementioned private collection, London, United Kingdom / Charles Ede, London, 2019.
Measurements: 12.8 cm.
The cult of Serapis was introduced into the Egyptian pantheon in the 3rd century B.C. by Ptolemy I in an attempt to unify the Egyptian god Osiris and the sacred bull Apis. The piece presented here is made entirely of bronze, cast using the hollow-casting technique, featuring a full beard, a long mustache, and hair with characteristic wavy locks on the forehead. Its head is adorned with a conical modius, a symbol of Serapis’s agricultural production. The draped bust rests on acanthus leaves.