Lot 41
Egyptian, Roman period, ca. 200 CE. An endearing, mold-made terracotta sculpture of Isis enthroned preparing to suckle Harpocrates (child god form of Horus) at her breast - known as the lactans pose. Crowned by a large headdress, she holds her left breast to the child, a shawl delicately draping her shoulders. Her feet rest on a footstool with a twisted inclination like that of the 'Bryaxis' Serapis, while the verso displays remains of an incuse inscription likely describing details of its construction. The throne has classical-style columns and is on a tiered pedestal, with the rich setting emphasizing the power of the goddess. Size: 0.6" L x 1.3" W x 2.5" H (1.5 cm x 3.3 cm x 6.4 cm)
During the Ptolemaic period, Isis-Hathor, Serapis, and Harpocrates formed the religious Triad of Alexandria. The British Museum exhibit of objects from Romano-Egyptian Naukratis shows the remains of terracotta molds for making models just like this one; they were made from a dark red-brown Nile silt in vast workshops. These figures were made for locals, but reflected the influence of Greek naturalistic styles in their depictions of the deities. They were bought by individuals and are found overwhelmingly in domestic contexts unsurprising, given that Isis-Hathor was connected to beliefs about childbirth and fertility.
For a nearly identical example of larger scale see British Museum, museum number EA37556.
Exhibited in the Lily Place Collection, Minneapolis Institute of Art, from 1925 to 1958, ref. no. 25.208; at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) from 1986 to 1991; in the University of Arizona Museum of Art, October 1993 to December 1993; and in the Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art (RAFFMA), California State University, San Bernardino from 1996 to 2023, reference number EL01.180.1996.
Published in Dr. Gerry D. Scott III. "Temple, Tomb and Dwelling: Egyptian Antiquities from the Harer Family Trust Collection." University of California Press, 1992, pp. 122-123, fig. 77b
Provenance: Collection of Dr. W. Benson Harer, Los Angeles, California, USA; Exhibited in the Lily Place Collection, Minneapolis Institute of Art, from 1925 to 1958, ref. no. 25.208; at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) from 1986 to 1991; in the University of Arizona Museum of Art, October 1993 to December 1993; and in the Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art (RAFFMA), California State University, San Bernardino from 1996 to 2023, reference number EL01.180.1996; Published in "Temple, Tomb, and Dwelling", fig. 77b
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#182219
- Condition: Chipping to base and nicks and abrasions to surface as shown. Otherwise, intact and excellent with liberal remaining detail. Old inventory number inscribed on verso.
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