God Harpocrates. Ancient Egypt. Late Epoch, 664-323 B.C.

God Harpocrates. Ancient Egypt. Late Epoch, 664-323 BC.
Bronze.
Provenance: private collection, France.
Good state of preservation.
Measurements: 15,6 cm height.

Bronze sculpture representing Harpocrates, Hellenized form of the Egyptian god Horus child, divinity associated with rebirth and the life cycle. His iconography is easily recognizable by the characteristic gesture of bringing the finger to the mouth, symbol of childhood in the Egyptian tradition, reinterpreted in the Greco-Roman world as a sign of silence and mystery.

The figure appears seated, with the naked body treated with soft volumes. The right arm is raised towards the face in the distinctive gesture of the god, while the other rests along the body. The pose, frontal and serene, conveys a sense of seclusion and sacredness.

The elaborate headdress crowning the head stands out, resolved in vertical forms, probably alluding to divine attributes or to the crown associated with his condition of heir of Osiris. This element adds verticality to the composition and reinforces its symbolic presence.

An example of great interest both for its formal quality and its iconographic value within the Egyptian religious repertoire.