Terracotta lamp handle

Roman

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 171

Zeus Serapis, enthroned, holds a scepter in his left hand and rests his right hand on the head of Cerberos, the guard dog of Hades. Since the Roman Serapis is equated with Osiris, the Egyptian god of the Underworld, it seems appropriate to pair him with another representative of Hades, Cerberos. The association between the Greek god Zeus and the Egyptian god Serapis descends from Ptolemaic cult and highlights Serapis as a guarantor of royal power.

Terracotta lamp handle, Terracotta, Roman

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Terracotta lamp handle, Terracotta, Roman
Terracotta lamp handle, Terracotta, Roman

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