An Egyptian brilliant blue faience amulet of Nefertum

An Egyptian brilliant blue faience amulet of Nefertum
Third Intermediate Period-26th Dynasty, circa 1069-525 B.C.
The short-kilted god striding forth wearing the lotus crown with tall feathers, with tripartite wig detail in black, 7cm high

Provenance:
A. Indjoudjian collection, formed ca. 1910s.
M. collection.
Anonymous sale; François de Ricqlès, Drouot, Paris,30 September - 1 October 1996, lot 325.
with Royal-Athena Galleries, New York.
Private collection, Europe, acquired from the above 15 December 2014.

Along with Ptah and Sekhmet, Nefertum was part of the divine family of the Memphite area and represented youthful power. Nefertum was closely associated with the lotus flower, symbol of regeneration. He was linked with the creation myth in which the newborn sun god rose from the petals of the blue lotus. There is another example of a similarly dated Nefertum amulet with dark wig in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, acc. no. 72.1926.