15/04/2025
Horus of Mednit (Reserved)
Ancient Egypt · Saita Period (664 to 525 BC)
Material: Bronze
Size: 13.5 x 3.1 x 3 cm
Provenance: European private collection
This small yet powerful bronze sculpture represents the child god Horus, or Harpocrates in the Greco-Roman world, dating from Egypt’s Saite Period (664–525 BC), a time of cultural renaissance. Measuring 13.5 cm, the figure sits naked with his right index finger to his mouth—a gesture symbolizing childhood in Egyptian art.
He wears a flat crown with a central uraeus and a prominent side lock, both signs of his divine status and youth. His serene expression and refined modeling reflect the aesthetic finesse of Late Archaic Egyptian sculpture. The bronze retains traces of green and reddish patina, enhancing its authenticity and age.
The base bears a clear hieroglyphic inscription, and the back of the figure shows detailed anatomical rendering. Linked to the cult of Horus of Mednit, this figure may have served as a votive offering or protective amulet. Similar statues appear across Saite and Ptolemaic sites, emphasizing Horus’s role in divine protection, healing, and dynastic renewal..