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Identification and Creation

Object Number
1920.44.279
Title
Falcon-Headed Deity and Lion-Headed Deity Seated on Plinth
Classification
Sculpture
Work Type
sculpture, statuette
Date
mid 7th-late 1st century BCE
Places
Creation Place: Ancient & Byzantine World, Africa, Egypt (Ancient)
Period
Late Period to Ptolemaic
Culture
Egyptian
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/286801

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Leaded bronze
Technique
Cast, lost-wax process
Dimensions
5.2 x 6 x 3.7 cm (2 1/16 x 2 3/8 x 1 7/16 in.)
Technical Details

Chemical Composition: ICP-MS/AAA data from sample, Leaded Bronze
Cu, 65.34; Sn, 3.15; Pb, 31.11; Zn, 0.085; Fe, 0.05; Ni, 0.03; Ag, 0.06; Sb, 0.06; As, 0.11; Bi, less than 0.025; Co, less than 0.005; Au, less than 0.01; Cd, less than 0.001

J. Riederer

Technical Observations: The patina is black with spots of green. The surface texture is very rough. This is probably the result of corrosion that may have been stripped away electrolytically, leaving a pitted surface. The black material appears to be modern.

The figures are solid cast and integral with the plinth. The surface details were probably made in the wax model. Three corners of the plinth have been lost. Of the two preserved holes used for attachment, the intact hole at the back corner is filled with modern wax.


Henry Lie (submitted 2001)

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History
Miss Elizabeth Gaskell Norton, Boston, MA and Miss Margaret Norton, Cambridge, MA (by 1920), gift; to the Fogg Art Museum, 1920.

Note: The Misses Norton were daughters of Charles Elliot Norton (1827-1908).

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of the Misses Norton
Accession Year
1920
Object Number
1920.44.279
Division
Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact
am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
Permissions

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Descriptions

Published Catalogue Text: Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Bronzes at the Harvard Art Museums
A falcon-headed deity and a lion-headed deity are side-by-side on a flat rectangular plinth. Both figures assume identical squatting positions typical of temple frieze iconography. The small scale and lack of inscription make identification of the deities difficult. The falcon-headed god on the proper right side probably represents Horus, who was associated with the falcon from the earliest periods of Egyptian history. The Double Crown with a ureaus and large spiral reinforce this identification, as Horus was intimately connected to the Egyptian king, who was perceived during his lifetime as the incarnation of Horus. His companion, who wears a sun disc with a uraeus, may be one of the fierce lioness goddesses, perhaps Sakhmet or Wadjet. The plinth is broken on three of its corners, but two corners preserve traces of holes for attachment to a larger piece.

Marian Feldman

Subjects and Contexts

  • Ancient Bronzes

Verification Level

This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu