Phoenician-Egyptian Bronze Harpocrates Pendant
£ 125.00
A Phoenician-Egyptian bronze pendant embodying the deity, Harpocrates. Overflowing with character, this small wearable figurine is depicted with his knees slightly bent and is leaning forward as if sitting. His right arm is raised to his face with his finger characteristically pressed against his lips. In his left arm, he clutches a cornucopia. Upon his head there is a diminutive version of the double crown of Egypt; this well-known symbol was emblematic of royal authority, and recognised Harpocrates’ filial relationship in the Egyptian canon to Horus, who also was frequently represented with the crown. Pharoah’s would too wear the headpiece to show that they were earthly manifestations of Horus. There is a suspension loop attached to the back of the figure, indicative of its former function as an amuletic charm.
Date: Circa 6th-4th Century BC
Provenance: Ex SM collection, London, acquired from the 1970s-2000s.
Condition: Fine condition with earthly encrustations and dark patination to the surface. Some wear consistent with age.
In stock
In Ancient Egyptian culture and mythology Harpocrates, Harpa-Khruti (Horus the Child), was the son of the goddess Isis and her husband Osiris. The deity was often depicted as a small boy, with the side-lock of youth and his index finger held to his lips or chin. This was a typical Egyptian gesture symbolising childhood and also the Ancient Egyptian hieroglyph for “child.” The deity was later adopted by the Greeks, and the misinterpretation of the gesture of the finger to the lips led to the association of Harpocrates with silence, leading to his enshrinement as god of silence, secrets and confidentiality among the Ancient Greeks and Romans.
To discover more about religious syncretism in Antiquity, please visit our relevant blog post: Religious Syncretisms in the Ancient Mediterranean Region.
