Figure of Isis nursing Horus
This amulet depicts Isis lactans, Isis nursing Horus, her posthumous son with the god Osiris. The goddess, identified by the throne hieroglyph on her head, sits on a block seat adorned on the side with a feather pattern, perhaps symbolizing the wings with which she can be shown or her form as a kite (a bird of prey). A folded cloth is shown as if covering the seat and draping over its low backrest.
Isis was seen as the embodiment of a protective, nurturing mother; small figures such as this one would have evoked these qualities for the benefit of the owner.
Isis was seen as the embodiment of a protective, nurturing mother; small figures such as this one would have evoked these qualities for the benefit of the owner.
Artwork Details
- Title: Figure of Isis nursing Horus
- Period: Ptolemaic Period
- Date: ca. 332–30 B.C.
- Geography: From Egypt
- Medium: Faience
- Dimensions: H. 5 × W. 1.4 × D. 2.5 cm (1 15/16 × 9/16 × 1 in.)
- Credit Line: Bequest of Nanette B. Kelekian, 2020
- Object Number: 2021.41.31
- Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art
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ca. 872–664 BCE
664–525 BCE
360–343 BCE
4th century B.C.
380–343 B.C.
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