Harpokrates Amulet

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This small figurine depicts a naked male figure in a curious half-seated, half-standing position. His nudity and the lock of hair on the side of his head signify that he is a child. He wears the double crown, which identifies him as the god Harpokrates (Horus the Child). Black paint was used to accentuate his side lock. The intriguing position of his body is known from other depictions of this god and can be explained by common images that depict him seated on the lap of his mother Isis. At the back of his neck is a pierced loop for suspension.

Egyptian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met collection of ancient Egyptian art consists of approximately 30,000 objects of artistic, historical, and cultural importance, dating from about 300,000 BCE to the 4th century CE. A signifcant percentage of the collection is derived from the Museum's three decades of archaeological work in Egypt, initiated in 1906 in response to increasing interest in the culture of ancient Egypt.

Metropolitan Museum of Art