Egyptian Leaded Bronze Seated Isis with Horus

Egypt, Late Dynastic Period to Ptolemaic, 26th to 31st Dynasty, ca. 664 to 30 BCE. A fine cast leaded-bronze votive figure depicting the goddess Isis seated and holding her son, Horus, on her lap, with her right hand to her breast, wearing a tightly fitted sheath dress that accentuates the contours of her form and a tripartite wig. Atop her head is a vulture headdress and a cobra circlet supporting a solar disk framed by cow horns. On her lap, Isis cradles her son Horus, who wears a ureaus and the side lock of youth, indicating his divine and royal status. As a cult figure from this time period, Isis is often shown as a mother goddess like we see here. A touching portrayal, probably intended for a niche in a temple or a grave. Size: 3.25" H (8.3 cm)

During the Ptolemaic period, Isis-Hathor, Serapis, and Harpocrates formed the Triad of Alexandria, a cult for worshipping the three deities that combined Greek and Roman gods with Egyptian ones. Ptolemy introduced this worship as a way to unify the cultures under his rule. Isis-Hathor was associated with childbirth and fertility and Harpocrates (a Greek version of Horus) was the god of silence, secrets, and confidentiality.

Provenance: ex Estate of Eldert Bontekoe, Pegasi Numismatics, Ann Arbor, Michigan USA acquired before 2000

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#158399
Condition Report: Minute losses to peripheries of solar disk, tips of horns, and Isis' feet/hem of dress. Putty beneath Isis' bottom to secure to lucite cube, but statue can easily be removed. Expected surface wear with softening to details. Bronze has developed a rich dark patina over the ages.