Harpokrates in red crown
Unknown Artist
664–30 B.C.
Medium
Cupreous metal
Dimensions
H. 13.2 cm (5 3/16 in.); W. 3.1 cm (1 1/4 in.); D. 4.7 cm (1 7/8 in.)
Classification
Statuette, Harpokrates, red crown
Period
Late Period–Ptolemaic Period
Department
Egyptian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Darius Ogden Mills, 1904
Accession Number
04.2.615
Art Historical Context
Behold the exquisite "Harpokrates in crown," a diminutive yet captivating figurine from ancient Egypt's Late Period to Ptolemaic era (664–30 B.C.). Crafted cupreous metal—likely a bronze alloy—this 13.2 cm tall statue depicts Harpokrates, the youthful Greek form of the god Horus, adorned with the iconic red crown (Deshret) symbol Lower Egypt's power and fertility. Its slender form (just 3.1 cm wide and 4.7 cm deep) suggests it was a personal votive object, perhaps carried as an amulet for protection and divine favor. In Egyptian mythology, Harpokrates embodies silence, secrecy, and the emergi...