Harpocrates. Ancient Egypt, Late Antiquity, 664 - 323 BC.

Harpocrates. Ancient Egypt, Lower Epoch, 664 - 323 BC.
Bronze.
Good state of preservation, with antique patina.
Measurements: 17 cm high.

Egyptian bronze figure representing Harpocrates, Greek name of Horus child, son of Isis and Osiris. The divinity appears standing, naked, with the lateral braid of the childhood and the finger taken to the mouth, distinctive gesture of his iconography. On her head she keeps a high headdress, an element that reinforces her divine character and her association with royalty, protection and regeneration.

During the Late Epoch, the votive representations of Harpocrates reached a remarkable diffusion in bronze, a material especially appreciated in the Egyptian religious sphere. Comparable specimens appear on the international market described with the same essential attributes: nude infant figure, finger in the mouth, lateral braid and headdress or crown, features that allow a clear identification of the divinity.

The frontal attitude, the modeling of the torso and the clarity of the iconographic attributes give it a particularly attractive presence within the Egyptian votive sculpture.

The combination of immediate iconographic reading, good scale and visual quality places this figure in an outstanding level within the collection of ancient Egyptian bronzes.