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Upper part of a figure of Isis nursing Horus

Early Ptolemaic Period
4th to 3rd Century BCE
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 130
The upper part of an Isis lactans figure, when complete this would have depicted Isis nursing her Horus, her posthumous son with the god Osiris (see 55.121.5). Enough of the figure is preserved to show that the goddess is offering her breast to her baby, although his figure is now missing. On her head is the throne hieroglyph that symbolized her name.

The face of a a second group of Isis with Horus, of which again only the upper part is preserved, is almost identical to this one, and both also display similarities to certain shabtis, suggesting a date in the early Ptolemaic Period. Additional study of these pieces may allow us to add to our understanding of workshop practices.

Isis was seen as the embodiment of a protective, nurturing mother; figures such as this one would have evoked these qualities for the benefit of the owner.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Upper part of a figure of Isis nursing Horus
  • Period: Early Ptolemaic Period
  • Date: 4th to 3rd Century BCE
  • Geography: From Egypt
  • Medium: Faience
  • Dimensions: H. 6.4 × W. 2.8 × D. 2.1 cm (2 1/2 × 1 1/8 × 13/16 in.)
  • Credit Line: Bequest of Nanette B. Kelekian, 2020
  • Object Number: 2021.41.41
  • Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art

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