Origin: Egypt
Circa: 600 BC to 300 BC
Dimensions: 1.75" (4.4cm) high x .75" (1.9cm) wide
Collection: Egyptian
Style: Late Dynastic Period
Medium: Faience
The multiplicity of gods in the complicated ancient Egyptian pantheon frequently resulted in the merging of the identities of different gods into one form. This form existed without negating the identity of any of the gods whose identities were merged. The god Ptah-Sokar is an example of such a syncretized deity. Ptah was the creator god of Memphis (who is frequently shown as a mummiform man wearing a skull cap) and Sokar, the falcon-headed god of the Memphite necropolis. Because both gods had cult centers in Memphis and both were the patron gods of artisans, their identities were eventually merged into the composite form of Ptah-Sokar. This gray-green faience figure is profoundly interesting because it depicts a syncretized form of two deities that differs from the forms in which Ptah and Sokar are normally depicted. Ptah-Sokar is shown in the form of a naked, bow-legged dwarf surrounded by a dizzying array of symbols and attributes. The god stands atop two crocodiles with each foot placed atop one crocodile head. He holds a snake in each hand and perched on each of his shoulders rests a falcon. A scarab rests on the top of his head, and a winged goddess whose feet rest upon the overlapping tails of the crocodiles protects his back. - (PF.2952)

Antiquities
Ancient Egyptian