Ancient Roman Terracotta Statue of Isis and the Horus Child (Ex Royal Athena Galleries, New York - exhibited at TEFAF) - 32×9×7 cm

Isis (Greek) or Aset (Egyptian Au Set) is one of the most important goddesses of Egyptian mythology. Isis was first revered in the Nile Delta, later she was given a temple on the islet of Philae. Her home town was the Iseum, the twelfth Lower Egyptian nomos. Originally, Isis was the name of a guardian goddess from the Nile Delta. In this agricultural state, Isis was always very strongly linked to the Nile, the fertile water that came to irrigate the country according to the annual cycle. Temples were placed as lookouts, which allowed them to recognize the signs in the sky that coincided with the washing water. These temples were therefore all facing the south. The main temple of Isis was located on the islet of Philae all the way south in the Nile. According to the Egyptian creation story, Isis was the daughter of Geb and Nut, the god of the earth and the goddess of heaven. Horus is her son and symbolizes the annual disappearance and rise of life, as it becomes visible in agriculture. The terracotta sculpture on offer shows Isis with Horus on her shoulder. The head originally belongs to the sculpture but was added later. Provenance: The statue comes from the collection of Royal Athene Galleries. The statue has been approved by the expert Dr. Eisenberg. previous provenance Dr. Jerome Eisenberg in New York in USA Exhibited at TEFAF, Maastricht. The seller has demonstrated that the lot was obtained legally. The proof of origin was seen by Catawiki. The last pictures in the lot show the statue, in the catalogue of Royal-Athena-Galleries on page 30 with the number: 76 Important information. The seller guarantees that he has the right to sell / export this lot. The seller will ensure that any necessary permits, such as an export licence, will be arranged. The seller shall inform the buyer about this if this takes more than a few days.