Origin: Israel
Circa: 1600 BC to 600 BC
Dimensions: 2" (5.1cm) high x .625" (1.6cm) wide
Collection: Egyptian
Style: New Kingdom
Medium: Faience
Additional Information: SOLD
Nefertem was a Memphite sun god who was also worshipped as a god of perfume. His name, which means "tem the younger," is an indication that he is believed to be an incarnation of the Heliopolitan sun god Tem. In this form, he represented the rising sun that sprang from a lotus each morning. Nefertem became absorbed into the Memphite triad and was believed to be the son of Sekhmet, the fierce lion-headed goddess, and Ptah, the creator god of Memphis. The god is usually depicted with a lotus shaped headdress and is frequently shown holding an ankh, a lotus scepter surmounted by plumes, or a khepesh (a type of curved dagger). He is sometimes represented as a youth who wears the distinctive side-lock worn by young princes or gods. This striking faience amulet depicts Nefertem wearing a lotus flower headdress from which two plumes emerge. Although the legs of the figure have been lost, the orientation of his pleated kilt shows that he is striding forward on his left leg, which was a formulaic pose employed by the Egyptians in standing figures. - (PF.2996)

Antiquities
Ancient Near East