Egyptian bronze figurine of Horus the Child
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Object number
AR3090-B6
| Object: |
Egyptian bronze figurine of Horus the Child
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| Material: |
Casted bronze.
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| Period: |
Late Period of Ancient Egypt, 26th to 31st dynasty, 664 BC to 332 BC. |
| Description: |
Egyptian statuette of child god Horus. The young Horus is shown in a curious half-seated half-standing position. One finger raised to the mouth, characteristic sidelock. A suspension loop was once at the neck and enabled wearing the bronze as an amulet.
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| Background: |
The depiction with the finger to the mouth and sidelock is typical for the Egyptian child gods. The term Harpocrates is often used summarily for such gods.
With its characteristic position and style this figurine can be classified as Horus the Child. In Egyptian mythology the infant Horus was protected by his mother Isis by powerful spells against his enemies. This figurine had a suspension loop on its back and was worn as an amulet. The mythological protection should thus be extended to the wearer.
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| Dimensions: |
87mm long or 70mm high in half-seated position, respectively.
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| Condition: |
Bronze in good condition, old traces of cleaning in the head area and on the legs, where the patina has been removed. Strong, multicoloured patina on the rest of the body. The suspension loop on the back is broken off and missing. There is a print-out note reading "Horusknabe mit Kinderlocke und Lutschfinger Bronze Spätzeit, ca. 650 v. Chr. Fundort: Karnak/Ägypten" (the German text is giving away Karnak in Egypt as a find spot).
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| Provenance: |
Acquired by us in 2020 from the German family estate Stollenwerk. Inherited in 2015 from the German private collection of the archaeologist and artist Erich Charlier. He acquired his collection, including this piece, between 1950 and 1980 in Europe. Karnak, near Thebes, in Egypt, was passed down as the find spot of this piece. Mr. Charlier was known for his work as an artist and built a reputation in his home country. He had his studio in Hammer, a village in the Eifel region of Germany. The artist is immortalized in numerous church ornaments in the area. For his artistic work Mr. Charlier received the honorary prize of the municipality of Simmerath, as well as the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1994. Fossils and archaeological objects from his collection were or are on display in an exhibition in Hammer, together with typical hand drawings by Mr. Charlier, which he made for many archaeological pieces in his possession. |
| References: |
Cf. Metropolitan Museum of Art, Acc.no. 04.2.411.
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| Literature: |
For the background of Horus the Child depictions see C. Andrews, Amulets of Ancient Egypt, p. 16.
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| Authenticity: |
We unconditionally guarantee the authenticity of every artefact, all items are subject to our lifetime return policy on authenticity.
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