Statuette of Harpocrates
Unknown Artist
c. 50 BCE
Medium
bronze, hollow cast, with silver inlays
Dimensions
27 × 10.2 × 8.6 cm
Classification
Sculpture
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
Accession Number
1972.6
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Combining Hellenistic naturalism with a finger gesture associated with childhood in Egyptian tradition, this young figure represents Harpocrates, the Greek form of the Egyptian child sun god Horus, or Hor-pa-khred. A hole atop his head likely once held a double crown of Egypt, as on more traditionally Egyptian representations of Harpocrates.