Smiting god, wearing an Egyptian atef crown
In the Late Bronze Age, a time of intense international economic, political, and cultural connections, artistic elements of a variety of cultures were incorporated into local styles. Egyptian art especially influenced the art of the Levant at this time, resulting in an "Egyptianizing" style. Excavations at Ugarit, an international emporium in Syria, unearthed numerous examples of small statues of local gods. While motifs used may be the same or similar to Egyptian ones, the meaning was probably different and adapted to a local deity's persona. While much is known about the local religions through the textual sources, especially from the Ugarit archives, one cannot be sure of the precise identification of such deity statuettes.
Artwork Details
- Title: Smiting god, wearing an Egyptian atef crown
- Period: Late Bronze Age
- Date: ca. 15th–14th century BCE
- Geography: Levant
- Culture: Canaanite
- Medium: Bronze
- Dimensions: 8 1/4 in. × 3 in. × 1 7/16 in. (21 × 7.6 × 3.7 cm)
- Credit Line: Purchase, Leon Levy and Shelby White Gift, 1986
- Object Number: 1986.42
- Curatorial Department: Ancient West Asian Art
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7070. Overview: The Levant
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