Roman controlled Egypt, Late Ptolemaic to Roman Period, ca. 1st Century BCE to 1st Century CE. An intriguing cast bronze sculptural piece, probably from a large Isis Horus figure with the long arm and well-defined hand of Isis grasping the lotus flower with the chubby Harpocrates sitting on top. His right arm bent at the elbow, with his forefinger pointing to his mouth, his left arm holding remains of a cornucopia. Size: 3.95" W x 3.25" H (10 cm x 8.3 cm); 4.25" H (10.8 cm) on included custom stand.
Harpocrates (also Harpokrates), the god of secrecy and silence, shown with his right forefinger to his lips, a gesture commonly interpreted by Greek and Roman conquerors as an exhortation of silence and hence ascribed to Harpocrates as the god of secrecy and silence. After Alexander the Great conquered Egypt, the Greeks appropriated the Egyptian god Horus to become their deity Harpocrates (literal meaning is "Horus the child").
For a similar piece please see "Greek, Etruscan, & Roman Bronzes in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston," by Mary Comstock & Cornelius Vermeule page 132.
Provenance: private New Jersey, USA collection, acquired 2015; ex-Explorer Ancient Art, Mark Goodstein, New York City, New York, USA; ex-private Belgium collection, before 2000
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#156527
Condition
Finial at the top of the head has a loss. Otherwise in nice condition with really pretty turquoise patina and clear features and form.