Origin: Egypt Circa: 525 BC to 343 BC Dimensions: 7.75" (19.7cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: Late Dynastic Period Medium: Faience Perhaps no single object  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 525 BC to 343 BC Dimensions: 7.75" (19.7cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: Late Dynastic Period Medium: Faience Perhaps no single object epitomizes the spirit of Ancient Egypt better than the ushabti. Shaped like a divine mummy, the ushabti evokes the magical side of the Egyptian belief in an afterlife, while the pick and hoes clutched in the hands, as well as the seed bag slung over his shoulder, recall the rural, agrarian culture of the land. The word ushabti (supplanting the older term shawabti) literally means “the answerer.” The function of these little figures is described in Chapter 6 of the Book of the Dead: “O this Ushabti! If (the deceased) is called upon to do hard labor in the hereafter, say thou: I am here.” The ushabti was expected to answer the call to work in place of the deceased, and this passage was frequently inscribed on the figures themselves. Originally, a single ushabti was placed in a given tomb; but by the New Kingdom, the statues had come to be regarded as servants and slaves for the deceased rather than as a substitute, and many might be found buried together, along with an overseer figure. In the course of Egyptian history, ushabti were created from wood, stone, metal, and faience. In the cultural renaissance of the 26th Dynasty, also known as the Saite Period (the time just before this work was produced), a green faience, the color of the Nile and evocative of the verdant landscape in springtime, was particularly popular. Along the body of this ushabti is inscribed ten rows of hieroglyphic text. Such inscriptions generally offer prayers from the deceased and reveal the ushabti’s readiness to perform labor. To look upon this ushabti is to come face to face with the mystery and magic of Egypt itself. - (X.0160)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1 st Century AD to 2 nd Century AD Dimensions: 9.625" (24.4cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: Roman Period Medium: Plaster, Glass This gorgeous  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1 st Century AD to 2 nd Century AD Dimensions: 9.625" (24.4cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: Roman Period Medium: Plaster, Glass This gorgeous plaster funerary mask reveals that the traditional Egyptian arts continued to flourish even under Roman rule. In fact, the Egyptian style was reinvigorated with a healthy dose of Roman classicism that elegantly merges with the stylized traditions of Egypt.Our portrait head depicts a young man in the prime of his life. His hair is arranged in a style fashionable among Roman aristocrats in during the first half of the first century AD, at which time Egypt was administered by agents of the Roman emperors. His facial features are rendered in an idealizing manner so that he might be able to spend eternity in perfect health. His skin tones are rendered in a light-brownish hue. His mouth is small with a slightly fleshier lower lip, his nose thin-bridged, his eyes brows, plastically rendered as paint stripes and painted black, as are the horizontally arranged rows of tight curls of his hair. His large, almond-shaped eyes are inlaid with glass and sparkle in a manner that imbues the face with a life-like, realistic quality which is enhanced by the presence of painted eye lashes.Objects such as our portrait were placed over the heads of mummies of elite members of Egypt’s aristocracy during the Roman Imperial Period. These individuals may have been highly placed members of the bureaucracy of the time, and proclaimed their allegiance to Rome by their dress and coiffures. Such Egyptian creations find their closest parallels in Roman portraits in marble of the period, and are to be considered as belonging to that rich tradition of Roman portraiture.References:For a very close parallel not only with regard to the hair style but also with regard to the skin tones, see, London, The British Museum 30845: Klaus Parlasca, Mumienporträts und verwandte Denkmäler (Wiesbaden 1966), pages 121 and 123 with plate 3, figure 1, which is assigned to Upper Egypt and is tentatively dated to the reign of the Roman Emperor Augustus; and London, The British Museum GRA1988.9-20.21: Klaus Parlasca and Hellmut Seemann [editors], Augenblicke. Mujmienporträts und ägyptische Grabkunst aus römischer Zeit (Munich 1999), pages 108-109, catalogue number 7, for a limestone head of a youthful Roman excavated at Hawara by Sir Flinders Petrie with a coiffure identical to ours. This example is dated to the first half of the first century AD.- (X.0177)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 2 nd Century AD Dimensions: 9.5" (24.1cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: Roman Period Medium: Plaster, Glass This gorgeous plaster funerary mask  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 2 nd Century AD Dimensions: 9.5" (24.1cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: Roman Period Medium: Plaster, Glass This gorgeous plaster funerary mask reveals that the traditional Egyptian arts continued to flourish even under Roman rule. In fact, the Egyptian style was reinvigorated with a healthy dose of Roman classicism that elegantly merges with the stylized traditions of Egypt. The owner of this portrait is depicted as a mature male aristocrat with neatly trimmed hair, beard, and moustache. The artists took great pains to indicate the nuanced differences between the elegantly rendered snail-shaped curls of hair and that of the moustache and beard. The moustache consists of finely incised striations whereas the beard, in order to suggest its fullness, is ornamented with a series of seemingly irregular notches. This facial hair imbues the figure with a sense of gravitas, or seriousness of purpose, which is reinforced by his heavily-lidded eyes, framed by eye brows in raised relief, painted black, and the slightly open mouth conveyed by a subtle parting of the lips. One is, consequently, confronted by a portrait of an elder statesman.This seriousness of purpose is rooted in the portrait traditions of the earlier Augustan Period of the Roman Empire, but the beard and moustache betray their second century AD date. The individual depicted was certainly an elite member of Egyptian society and was probably regarded by his contemporaries as an elder statesmen. He is so depicted for eternity since this mask covered the head of his mummy. The portrait finds its closest correspondences in painted panels of the period, and its excellent state of preservation is remarkable.References:Compare, a head in Copenhagen, Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek AEIN 1386: Klaus Parlasca and Hellmut Seemann [editors], Augenblicke. Mujmienporträts und ägyptische Grabkunst aus römischer Zeit (Munich 1999), for the Augustan antecedents of our portrait, and page 237, catalogue number 144, for a portrait on painted on a panel which shares the same features encountered in our head.- (X.0178)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 525 BC to 404 BC Dimensions: 4.875" (12.4cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: Dynasty XXVI-XXVII Medium: Faience This group of seven figural  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 525 BC to 404 BC Dimensions: 4.875" (12.4cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: Dynasty XXVI-XXVII Medium: Faience This group of seven figural plaques in turquoise-blue faience, now in part weathered a taffy-colored brown, consist of two cobras, or sacred uraei, facing in opposite directions, one two-looped and the other one-looped. There are two djed-pillars, described by some as representations of the spinal column of Osiris and by others as reeds bundled together, and three cartouches, or royal rings, without inscription, each crowned by two ostrich feathers. The shape of the inlays with their flat sides perpendicular to their un-worked flat backs suggests their use as inlays set into wooden panels perhaps serving to decorate furniture or shrines. The repeated motifs suggest that these inlays were composed into one or more identical hieroglyphic phrases which were repeated decoratively around the object they adorned.The use of inlays has a long tradition in ancient Egyptian art, but prior to Dynasty XXVI, each such element was relatively small in size. The scale of our ensemble, therefore, indicates that these seven inlays were created either during Dynasty XXVI or later, when such large-scale inlays were extremely fashionable. Although not inscribed, our inlays belong to a well-known series, one example of which was inscribed with hieroglyphs which seemed to indicate a dating within Dynasty XXVII (525-404 BC) for the group. One has suggested that these inlays were used to decorate a deluxe object associated with a Phoenician grandee associated with the Persian overlords of Egypt. These individuals appropriated ancient Egyptian norms as their own as symbols of their status and wealth.References:See Robert Steven Bianchi and Florence D. Friedman in F. D. Friedman [editor], Gifts of the Nile. Ancient Egyptian Faience (Providence 1998), cat. no. 61. - (X.0181)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 664 BC to 525 BC Dimensions: 2.875" (7.3cm) high x 3" (7.6cm) wide x 12.625" (32.1cm) depth Collection: Egyptian Style: 26th Dynasty Medium:  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 664 BC to 525 BC Dimensions: 2.875" (7.3cm) high x 3" (7.6cm) wide x 12.625" (32.1cm) depth Collection: Egyptian Style: 26th Dynasty Medium: Stone Modern scholars believe that the worship of Sobek, the crocodile god, arose from a fear of these ferocious beasts. However, crocodiles were not universally feared in ancient Egypt. In certain regions, they were held sacred. Some were even tamed, kept in shallow pools and temples, embellished with jewelry and hand fed fresh meats, milk, and honey by reverent priests. While this may have been the case, it was certainly the exception; for throughout the greater part of the land, crocodiles remained a constant threat both to sailors cruising along the Nile as well as workers tilling the fertile banks of the mighty river. Sobek, the crocodile god, is either represented in the form of a crocodile, as he is here, or with the body of a human man with the head of the animal. A water deity, Sobek was the most popular deity in the oasis city of Arsinoe (renamed Crocodilopolis by the Greeks), one of the places where tamed crocodile were openly revered. Archaeologists have unearthed numerous examples of mummified crocodiles, and in some cases even their eggs, revealing the Ancient Egyptian’s honor for this powerful deity. The Nile was the life source of Ancient Egpyt, however, this waterway was filled with dangerous, unpredictable beasts. In order to mollify the danger of these wild animals, Sobek was honored with prayers, sacrifices, and libations, thereby ensuring a prosperous harvest and safe sailing.This gray stone sculpture of Sobek in the form of a crocodile is a splendid example of the stylized naturalism that characterizes Egyptian art. While subject of the work is unmistakable and his head is rendered with a fair amount of realism, the texture of the body has been conveyed through a series of abstract patterns that appear more fanciful than imitative. However, while these patterns are clearly of the sculptor’s own creation, they do marvelously convey the thick, scaly hide of these beasts. The top of the crocodile’s back is filled with small donut- shaped markings that spill over onto hi neck. The sides of his body and his legs are marked by a diagonal grid pattern. Meanwhile, his fragmented tail is decorated with a larger brick pattern. These geometric patterns belie the naturalism of the face. His eyes and the skin around them have been carefully incised and his sharp fangs have been indicated by a series of triangles around his narrow mouth. A double- plumed headdress, perhaps made from a less durable material such as wood, may have originally been inserted into the hole in his head, thereby revealing his divine nature. Hundreds of years ago, when wild beasts still lurked alongside human civilization, this sculpture would have been worshipped in order to protect the people and ensure the prosperity of the Kingdom. - (X.0189)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1450 BC to 1070 BC Dimensions: 20" (50.8cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: New Kingdom Medium: Wood Wooden sculptures from Ancient Egypt are  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1450 BC to 1070 BC Dimensions: 20" (50.8cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: New Kingdom Medium: Wood Wooden sculptures from Ancient Egypt are exceedingly rare, since fine wood was scarce and expensive. Like most wooden sculpture from Ancient Egypt, the arms of this sculpture were carved separately and pegged into place on the torso. This male figure stands with his arms held rigidly at his side, fists clenched tightly, and his legs locked together. The traditional hallmarks of Egyptian art are clearly evident: an elongated, slender body, limbs that lack muscular definition, a slightly oversized head with large eyes, and a narrow chin with a slightly smiling mouth. However, the New Kingdom was characterized by an influx of naturalistic tendencies initiated by the religious upheaval (albeit temporary) instituted by Pharaoh Akhetaten. These realistic tendencies can be found on this sculpture in the details of the man’s facial features, specifically his clearly defined cheekbones. The triangular-shaped overhang of his long skirt falls in between his legs. His hair has been carefully groomed into a helmet shape that leaves his ears exposed. While similar sculptures feature hieroglyphic inscriptions that aid in attributing the identity of the figure, this work bears no such inscription, leaving the name of this man a mystery. Who might he have been? A pharaoh? A priest? A scribe? Surely he was someone of tremendous importance and great stature in order to be honored with such a gorgeous rendition of his being. - (X.0206)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 600 BC to 300 BC Dimensions: 4" (10.2cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: Late Dynastic Period Medium: Bronze and Gold Depicted as a cat-headed  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 600 BC to 300 BC Dimensions: 4" (10.2cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: Late Dynastic Period Medium: Bronze and Gold Depicted as a cat-headed female figure, this uninscribed statuette is doubtless to be identified as Bastet because of her attributes. She is wearing a form-fitting, ankle-length dress with short, flared sleeves and a V-neck. Linear adjuncts decorate the dress with decorative ornamentation which represents the patterned textile from which the dress was tailored. Patterned textiles are rarely represented in ancient Egyptian art, and its depiction on our Bastet is noteworthy. This depiction of a deluxe and costly garment is complemented by the pair of original boat-shaped earrings of gold which grace our goddess’s pierced ears. Her right arm is bent at the elbow and its elevated hand shakes a naos-shaped sistrum, or sacred rattle. Her left arm, likewise bent at the elbow, is placed on her abdomen with its hand holding an aegis, or ceremonial implement, here consisting of a head of a lioness rising majestically from a broad collar. A basket, crafted from wicker as its reticulated pattern suggests, is suspend by its handle on that arm.The historical origins of the goddess Bastet may be traced back to the Delta city of Bubastis from which her cult spread. In accordance with the complex conceits of ancient Egyptian religious concepts, powerful, and often destructive forces, had to be appeased and allayed in order to effect their transformation into benevolent, useful powers. In keeping with this conceit, feline goddesses were possessed of opposing characteristics often given visual form in the contrast between a lioness and a cat. The destructive forces associated with felines was often manifest in the lioness as Sakhmet whose belligerent characteristics could be soothed by the playing of a sistrum in order for her to metamorphose into a more docile pussy cat. It is for this reason that our figure of Bastet shakes her sistrum and holds out the aegis of the lioness. These attributes were intended to remind the ancient Egyptians of the two-fold nature of Bastet and how her docile, benevolent nature could turn violent and hostile if adherence to her rituals were not strictly observed.On the basis of parallels, our Bastet can be dated to the Late Period, and represents a particularly fine example of the type.References:For stylistically similar and contemporary examples which, however, neither wear earrings nor hold baskets, see J. Malek, The Cat in Ancient Egypt (London1993), pages 104-105, figures 70, 71, and 73.- (X.0210)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 664 BC to 525 BC Dimensions: 17.25" (43.8cm) high x 11" (27.9cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Style: 26th Dynasty Medium: Cartonnage This  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 664 BC to 525 BC Dimensions: 17.25" (43.8cm) high x 11" (27.9cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Style: 26th Dynasty Medium: Cartonnage This well-preserved mummy mask was created from cartonnge, a kind of ancient Egyptian papier mâché in which layers of linen or recycled papyrus were combined with gesso, a type of plaster, in order to be modeled into a mummy mask used to cover the head and neck of the deceased’s mummy. Ours is a particularly fine example which is virtually intact and extremely well-executed.In keeping with ancient Egyptian religious conventions, the deceased is depicted with idealizing facial features in order to be appear to be symbolically in perfect, physical health for eternity. To that end, the eyes are designed as hieroglyphs with raised paint stripes articulating their lids, the upper lid overlapping the lower and trailing off toward the side. In like manner, the eye brows are plastically rendered as raised ridges and these come together and merge into the bridge of the nose which is thin and ends in a well-modeled nostrils. The small mouth is characterized by full lips over a protruding chin. The ears are prominent. The entire face and neck of the mask has been gilded to signify that the deceased is in the company of the deities of the land, because the ancient Egyptians maintained that the flesh of their gods was gold.The deceased is shown wearing a tripartite wig, the lappets of which fall behind the ears to the level of the chest. These lappets, now painted a lapis lazuli blue with gilded ends, are decorated with identical scenes of the god Osiris, wearing the White Crown, seated atop a shrine the double-leaved doors of which are sealed closed with double bolts, one on top of the other. The shrines may represent the tomb of the deceased which is now eternally under the protection of Osiris, the god of the dead. The motifs above the head of Osiris may have originally been intended to contain inscriptions which were, however, not added to this example. A reticulated pattern to the left and right and a horizontal frieze of flowers complete the bottom half of the mask’s decoration. The top of the mask is decorated with a winged scarab pushing a sun disc which is crafted in raised relief in the center of the gilded hair band which holds the wig in place.Such cartonnage masks are generally dated to the late first century BC into the first century AD, but recent finds seem to suggest that the type represented by our example may have appeared as early as the second century BC.- (X.0212)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 3 rd Century AD to 5 th Century AD Dimensions: 4" (10.2cm) high x 3.125" (7.9cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Style: Coptic Medium: Vellum The term  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 3 rd Century AD to 5 th Century AD Dimensions: 4" (10.2cm) high x 3.125" (7.9cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Style: Coptic Medium: Vellum The term "Copt" originally referred to the native Egyptians, as opposed to the Greek or Arab invaders. While later "Copt" became a religious designation referring to Christian Egyptians, the Coptic period is defined as the first millennium of the Christian era, when Christianity thrived in Egypt. Ideally situation at the join of three continents, Coptic artists drew inspiration from the many influences: the forms and motifs of ancient Egypt, classical and Hellenistic Greece and Rome, Near Eastern art; and contemporary life in the Nile Valley. Although Coptic art is generally associated with Christianity, many of its motifs are distinctly non-Christian, such as Bacchanal scenes, pastoral compositions inspired by classical poetry, and groups of nereids and maenads frequently represented on textiles. The style of Coptic art evolved from the late antique art of Egypt, retaining Greek and Roman influences. Economic conditions doubtless played a major role in the emergence of a freer, more popular style of art; the lack of an extensive patronage system is evident in many aspects of Coptic art, the emphasis on more personal, less monumental art, the avoidance of costly materials, and the dearth of skilled craftsmen with extensive training among them. The stylistic tendencies of Coptic art move away from a naturalistic rendering of the human form and features. Outline and detail are simplified, and the number of motifs is limited.The pages bear text written in black ink with embellishments on each page. There are also some additional comments in Arabic that would have been written centuries later, following the Arab conquest of Egypt (639-641 A.D.). Years later, when the Arab rulers forced any Coptic official working in their government to use Arabic for all documents, written Coptic slowly began to die out. Thus, it is possible that the Arabic notations were not written by an Arab, but by later generations of Copts who had difficulty comprehending the written language of their ancestors. - (X.0296)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 664 BC to 525 BC Dimensions: 3.625" (9.2cm) high x 1.75" (4.4cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Style: 26th Dynasty Medium: Bronze This carefully cast  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 664 BC to 525 BC Dimensions: 3.625" (9.2cm) high x 1.75" (4.4cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Style: 26th Dynasty Medium: Bronze This carefully cast bronze figure depicts a composite being in the form of a scorpion goddess. Her female torso from the level of the waist to the crown of her head is designed in accordance with ancient Egyptian conventions for the depiction of goddesses. Consequently, she appears to be unclothed, but should be understood as clad in the tightly-fitting sheath which was the staple of an ancient Egyptian aristocratic woman’s wardrobe. Depictions of this particular garment, particularly on sculpture, generally lack all indications of a neckline, hem, and ends of the sleeves, as here. Her accessories include armlets and a broad collar, rendered as linearly incised bands, and a striated, tri-partite headdress, the lappets of which fall to the level of her breasts but do not cover her ears. Atop the wig is the goddess’s principal attribute in the form of a cylindrical modius fronted by a uraeus which serves to support the cow’s horns cradling the sun disc. The cow’s horns and sun disc were once the exclusive emblem of the goddess Hathor. Due to the syncretistic nature of ancient Egyptian religion over time, the sun disc and cow’s horns were gradually incorporated into the regalia of other goddesses whose characteristics also began to merge with those of Hathor. The arms of the goddess are bent at a ninety degree angle at the elbows with her hands, palms open and face down, resting on the integral plinth in order to raise and support her body in an up- right position.Her scorpion body, which conveys a very real sense of corpulence, is well-modeled and detailed. A series of parallel bands running perpendicular to alignment of the body separate it into sections with parallel strokes ornamenting each zone within. This same decorative scheme, but reduced in size, adorns the proportionately smaller tail, the stinger of which is raised and poised as if to strike. The eight legs of the scorpion are likewise ornamented with linear adjuncts with their “feet” oriented toward the front of the composition where they align quite nicely with the hands of the goddess.The entire composition is set on to an ancient, integral plinth with which it was cast as a piece. This base is provided with a centered, cylindrical fitting on its underside for attachment into a staff. Such finials, originally affixed to staves of either metal or exotic hard wood such as ebony or cedar, served as standards either to be carried by priests in procession or to be affixed to a sacred barque. The smaller scale of our figure, however, suggests it is a votive object, deposited for the well-being of its owner, and intentionally modeled on such monumental temple accruements.The ancient Egyptians pioneered the development of such composite beasts, the design tenets of which are rooted in the hieroglyphic basis of ancient Egyptian art. And yet, these images are exceedingly benign in their appearance and are neither as frightening nor terrifying as their counterparts in Western art. The reason for this fundamentally different approach to “monsters” lies in the observation that most of these ancient Egyptian creatures were intended to assist mortals in time of need. Furthermore, ancient religious praxis often transformed that which was malevolent into that which became benevolent on the principle of alexikakoi, best explained by the modern analogy of “fighting fire with fire.” The scorpion, whose venom attacks the respiratory system of humans and can cause death, was, therefore, transformed into a deity whose primary function was to insure the breathing of the deceased in the Hereafter. This transformation occurred rather early in Egyptian history, as demonstrated by the fact that a late Pre-dynastic ruler of Egypt is known as the Scorpion King, doubtless because he considered himself to be under tutelage of that goddess. Shortly, thereafter, during the course of the Old Kingdom that goddess was named and identified as Selket- hetu, which literally translates into English as, “She-who-causes-the-throat-to-breathe.” By convention in popular literature, she is referred to merely as Selket.Although the integral base is inscribed in hieroglyphs, the inscription is abraded in places and so worn that an exact transcription and translation is difficult to achieve. Nevertheless, individual signs are clearly visible, including those forming the first group at the right-hand side of the front of the base. The signs there conform to a known dedicatory formula on such bronzes which include the name of the deity depicted and an invocation on behalf of the individual for whom it was dedicated and named. In the case of our bronze, we can read, “May the goddess Isis grant life to….” The sign for this goddess’s name is the throne, and that sign is unmistakable and clearly visible.The inscription clearly indicates that its accompanying figure of a scorpion-goddess is to be identified as the goddess Isis. That association at first appears to defy neat Aristotelian categories into which one is accustomed to compartmentalize deities and their animal manifestations. Such an impression is based upon a Eurocentric approach to the culture of ancient Egypt and fails to address the polyvalent nature of that society’s material culture. Because ancient Egyptian art was hieroglyphic, and the hieroglyphs are depictions of things in the real world, the Egyptians were forced to employ one and the same visual image for expressing a variety of ideas and concepts because the world of abstract thought far transcends the actual number of real objects known to the Egyptians. The syncretistic nature of ancient Egyptian religious beliefs developed concurrently with the practice of employing the same visual image for different concepts. As a result, the ancient Egyptians witnessed an exponential rise in the importance of the cult of the goddess Isis, particularly during the course of the Third Intermediate Period. As the priesthoods of that cult asserted more and more leverage, they folded into the cult of Isis characteristics and attributes of other goddesses which were already inherent, but perhaps not fully developed, within the Isis cult. The maternal nature of Hathor, for example, was compatible with the nurturing personality of Isis who raised her son Horus. Hence it was appropriate for Isis to appear with Hathor’s attribute of the cow’s horns and sun disc, with which she is shown on our bronze statuette. By the same token, the roles of Isis, Nephthys, Neith, and Seklet were instrumental in the protection of the corpse of Osiris. By the time of the New Kingdom, the powers of these goddesses had expanded to include the protection of the Canopic jars (witness the beautiful, gilded, wooden figures of these four goddess embracing the Canopic shrine of King Tutankhamun) and sarcophagus. Slowly but surely the close association of these four goddesses in such contexts blurred their distinctions with the result that the exponential rise of the cult of Isis enabled her priesthoods to elevate her to such a supreme position of authority that she could now be identified with any number of deities, Selket among them, and assume both their characteristics and outward manifestations.This particular bronze is datable to Dynasty XXVI, the so-called Saite Dynasty (664-525 BC) and is particularly rare among the preserved repertoire of bronze types known from that period. Nevertheless, our bronze finds its closest parallels in examples in both the collections of Baltimore and Berlin, which are, however, not a consummately crafted.Robert Steven BianchiReferences:For the two parallels in public collections which are not as finely made, see both G. Steindorff, Catalogue of the Egyptian Sculpture in the Walters Art Gallery (Baltimore 1946), plate XIV, no. 703; and G. Roeder, Ägyptische Bronzefiguren (Berlin 1956), plate 62, no. c. On the subject of the spectacular rise of the cult of Isis, see R. A. Fazzini, Egypt. Dynasty XXII-XXV (Brill 1988) and the more popular account by R. E. Witt, Isis in the Graeco-Roman World (London 1971). H. G. Fischer, L’écriture et l’art de l’Egypte ancienne (Paris 1986), for the best, succinct discussion about the hieroglyphic nature of ancient Egyptian art and especially pages 139-142, for a concise presentation of composite beasts in ancient Egyptian art. P. F. Houlihan, The Animal World of the Pharaohs (London 1996), 185-187, for a discussion of the scorpion. For the image of Selket from the tomb of Tutankhamon, see K. S. Gilbert [editor], Treasures of Tutankhamun (New York 1976), plate 25.- (X.0300)   « Less