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Statuette of Isis and Horus, Ptolemaic Period, ca. 304–30 B.C.
Egyptian
Egyptian faience; H. 6 3/4 in. (17 cm)
Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 1955 (55.121.5)

For the ancient Egyptians, the image of the goddess Isis suckling her son Horus was a potent symbol of divine kingship and of rebirth. This elegant faience sculpture dates to the Ptolemaic Period. On the goddess's head is the throne hieroglyph that represents her name. She also wears a vulture head-covering reserved for queens and goddesses. Following ancient conventions for indicating childhood, Horus is naked and soft-bodied and wears a single lock of hair on the right side of his head.


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    Statuette of Isis and Horus, Ptolemaic Period, ca. 304–30 B.C.
    Egyptian
    Egyptian faience; H. 6 3/4 in. (17 cm)
    Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 1955 (55.121.5)