Egypt, Romano-Egyptian Period, ca. 30 BCE to 2nd century CE. A finely preserved figure of Harpocrates (literally "Horus the child") seated nude atop an integral circular plinth. Harpocrates sits with bent legs spread as both his arms wrap around his enormous phallus, which towers above his head. His face stares outwards with bulging, heavy-lidded eyes and displays full lips, petite ears, and a broad nose. Harpocrates was the god of silence, secrets, and confidentiality, and the ithyphallic symbols were perceived in the Roman period as a good luck charm, specifically for bringing about good fortune. Size: 3.125" W x 5.875" H (7.9 cm x 14.9 cm)

Originally adapted by the Greeks from the Egyptian child god Horus, Harpocrates emerged in late Greek mythology in Ptolemaic, Alexandria. After Alexander the Great conquered Egypt, the Greeks appropriated the Egyptian god Horus to become their deity Harpocrates (literal meaning is "Horus the child"). Horus was regarded as the son of Isis and Osiris who avenged his father's death through several battles with Seth, the legendary god of Chaos. To the ancient Egyptians, Horus symbolized the sun as a newborn.

Provenance: ex-Phoenicia Holyland Antiquities, New York City, New York, USA, acquired before 2010

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#162564

Expected light nicks/chips and abrasions, commensurate with age and use. Otherwise, intact and excellent with lovely earthen deposits.