Egyptian Gold Sons of Horus Appliques

$947.22

A group of four gold sheet plaques depicting the Four Son of Horus, the personifications of the canopic jars used in the embalming and mummification process. These deities are Imsety, with a human head; Duamutef, with a jackal head; Hapi, with a baboon head; and Qebehsenuef, with a hawk head.

The appliques come with a display frame with a velvet background. Please note the measurements indicated below include the frame.

The appliques themselves weigh 1.6g; roughly 1.9-2.4cm in width and 5.5-6.4cm in length.

Date: 664-332 BC
Period: Late Period
Provenance: From a French collection, 1920’s, German Gallery 1970-80’s, Spanish collection 1980-1990’s, London Collection 2000’s
Condition: Very fine condition.

In stock

According to mythology, the Four Sons of Horus each were attributed a different organ to protect. For Imsety, the liver; for Duamutef, the stomach; for Hapi, the lungs; and for Qebehsenuef, the intestines. As the heart was believed to be the resting place of the soul, it was not removed from the deceased. The brain, on the other hand, was thought to be inconsequential, so was scrambled to liquid, removed with metal hooks and then discarded. The four protected organs were removed from the body, embalmed, and then stored in their corresponding jar.

Repoussé is a metalwork technique which involves shaping very thin, malleable metal from the reverse, in order to create a design in low relief. It was a technique used even in ancient times to create delicate gold- and silverware.

Weight 497.5 g
Dimensions L 31 x W 21 x H 2 cm
Culture

Metal

Region

Egyptian Mythology

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