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Limestone Bes

late 6th–early 5th century BCE
Not on view
The figure preserves the body and upper part of the legs of a nude Bes. His body is shown in three-quarter view, with the left leg advancing forward and the right leg drawn backwards. The genitalia are broken. Both arms are missing. With his raised right arm he was probably brandishing a feather-sword (?). A tenon on his chest supported the object held in one of the hands. He has a large head, a flat face, a grooved beard, a thick flat nose, a large mouth, a drawn out tongue and two small horns. His mass of hair is grooved and falls down his back and on his shoulders. The face and body are pink and the tongue red.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Limestone Bes
  • Period: Cypro-Archaic II
  • Date: late 6th–early 5th century BCE
  • Culture: Cypriot
  • Medium: Limestone
  • Dimensions: WebPub GR 2012 Cesnola: 5 1/2 × 3 1/4 × 2 3/4 in., 1 lb. (14 × 8.3 × 7 cm, 0.5 kg)
  • Classification: Stone Sculpture
  • Credit Line: The Cesnola Collection, Purchased by subscription, 1874–76
  • Object Number: 74.51.2611
  • Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art

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