- Description
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Amuletic figure in glazed composition, representing Isis nursing Horus (Harpokrates). Description from Boston records: 'Isis seated on her throne, the sides criss-crossed off. Plain pillar at the back and plain plinth. Very pale green glaze. The heads of both figures, the breasts of Isis, the top of her left forearm are missing and disclose soft white clay'.
- Production date
- 6thC BC (?)
- Dimensions
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Height: 2.40 centimetres
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Width: 1.60 centimetres
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Depth: 0.70 centimetres
- Curator's comments
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Object owned and held by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. This record is included in the British Museum database as part of the Museum’s Naukratis Project, a research collaboration that aims to virtually re-unite finds from the ancient port city of Naukratis, now distributed over 80 museums worldwide.
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Isis nursing is a theme relatively well-represented at Naukratis with some figures and amulets made of bronze or glaze composition (Masson forthcoming). Isis lactans appears to be an important amuletic figure for the mummy but also used in the daily life for the protection of women and children (Andrews 1994, 48). Such figures were also deposited as ex-votos. They became truly popular from the Late Period onwards and one of the most depicted themes in bronze statuary (Roeder 1956, § 303-314; Weiss 2012, 330-331, 822-833, pl. 56, G12).
On Isis amulets see: Andrews 1994, 48-49, fig. 18; Herrmann et al. 2010, 30-32 (types 4-5).
Considering its context of discovery, this amulet which is now deaccessioned should be dated to the 26th dynasty. However, the registers of the Museum of Fine Arts tend to allocate the Scarab Factory as a findspot for not only scarabs, scaraboids and their moulds, but also all types of amulets from Naukratis. Caution is therefore required for the dating and the findspot. Let's note that the records written (or at least supervised by) Amelia Edwards mention the Scarab Factory as the findspot too.
Andrews, C. 1994, Amulets of Ancient Egypt, London.
Herrmann, C., Staubli, T., Berger-Lober, S., Keel, O., Schönbächler, G. 2010, 1001 Amulett : altägyptischer Zauber, monotheisierte Talismane, säkulare Magie, Bibel+Orient-Museum, Liebefeld, Stuttgart.
Masson, A. forthcoming, ‘Naukratis: Egyptian offerings in context’, in M. Bergeron and A. Masson (eds.), Naukratis in Context II: Cults, Sanctuaries and Offerings. Proceedings of the Second Naukratis Project Workshop held at The British Museum, 22nd-23rd June 2013.
Roeder, G. 1956, Ägyptische Bronzefiguren, Mitteilungen aus der Ägyptischen Sammlung 6, Berlin.
Weiss, K. 2012, Ägyptische Tier- und Götterbronzen aus Unterägypten: Untersuchungen zu Typus, Ikonographie und Funktion sowie der Bedeutung innerhalb der Kulturkontakte zu Griechenland, Ägypten und Altes Testament 81.
- Location
- Not on display
- Department
- External
- Additional IDs
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Miscellaneous number: P.5236 (Pottery & Porcelain Ledger No.)
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Miscellaneous number: RES.86.299 (Accession Number)