Late Period, c. 600-300 B.C.

The deity is depicted seated frontally on an integral plinth with a hand resting on each knee, his tail wrapped around to the right side. As a guardian deity Bes is one of the few Egyptian gods to be regularly depicted in a frontal position. The facial features are finely carved and depict the god with a striated mane surrounding a small mouth. His cheeks are full and the nose is small yet bulbous. The eyes are partially closed above which sit large eyebrows that would have originally been inlaid. Small ears protrude from either side of the head and he wears a modius. This piece is in excellent condition with the vein of the stone adding to its aesthetic appeal.

2.95 x 1.26 inches (7.5 x 3.2 cms)

Export Approval from Israel Antiquities Authority

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Bes was an Egyptian deity of protection and the iconography originally referred to several different protective deities in the Egyptian pantheon, later amalgamated into a single figure. In addition to warding off evil spirits he was also closely associated with the protection of women and children and came to be associated with protection during childbirth.

Antiquities
Ancient Egyptian