Bronze Statuette of an Egyptian Child God

Culture: Egyptian

Period: Late Period, probably 30th dynasty, ca. 381-343 B.C.

Material: Bronze

Dimensions: 20.5 cm high

Price: Sold

Ref: 1156

Provenance: Gallery Chenel, Paris, thence private collection Belgium.

Condition: One tip of the feather of the Hemhem crown chipped, otherwise intact and of excellent quality.

Description: Magnificent statuette of a seated Egyptian child god from the late period, crowned with the Hemhem crown, topped of with three sun disks and the Nemes. The nude boy holds as a symbol of youth his right index finger to his mouth. The face is very finely worked out, the eyes towards the index finger. His lock of youth falls to his right shoulder. The left arm bent in parallel to his body, the hand stretched out. The child god with his slightly round belly represents abundance and prosperity. Since the Third Intermediate period child gods became more and more popular, especially the Horus child, son of Isis and Osiris, during the Ptolemaic period known as Harpocrates. There were a number of other child gods, e.g. Khonsu the child, Har-pa-chered or Harsiese. An exact attribution is due to a missing inscription therefore difficult. On an old mount from the first half of the 20th century.