An Egyptian limestone relief fragment of Horus

An Egyptian limestone relief fragment of Horus
Ptolemaic Period, circa 332-30 B.C.
Carved in high relief, the falcon-headed deity facing right with his proper right arm raised, wearing a broad collar, an armband, a garment with shoulder straps, and a striated tripartite wig with the crown of Upper and Lower Egypt above, 39.5cm high

Provenance:
Stöll collection.
Anonymous sale; Sotheby's, New York, 29 November 1989, lot 152.
Private collection, acquired at the above sale.

One of the earliest gods to be worshipped in Ancient Egypt, Horus was well known for his cosmic powers. His right eye embodied the sun and his left eye the moon, while his speckled breast feathers symbolised the stars and his wings the sky and winds. His assimilation of other avian deities lead to widespread worship of Horus through other iterations of the deity, such as Horakhty (Horus of the two horizons), Harwer (Horus the Elder), as well as the child of Isis and Osiris (Harpocrates).