- Description
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Mould-made amuletic figure in glazed composition, representing the dwarf god Pataikos; naked, crouching on a small rectangular base; very roughly made; very crude, schematic features with a few deeply incised details; suspension hole pierced widthways through head (possibly, though only front view available); turquoise glaze well preserved; complete.
- Production date
- 6thC BC (?)
- Dimensions
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Height: 1.70 centimetres
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Width: 0.80 centimetres
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Depth: 0.60 centimetres
- Curator's comments
- Pataikos might be related with the god Ptah as a craftman god (Andrews 1994, 39). He is definitely linked with the other dwarf god Bes, with whom he appears often on the same amulet or in the same context (on the relationship between these two gods: Bulté 1998, 379 and 382). As an amulet, Pataikos seems to appear as early as the 6th dynasty, although amulets of the dwarf god are better identified from the New Kingdom onwards (Andrews 1994, 39). His amulets are very common during the Late and Ptolemaic periods (as illustrated in Mendes: Wilson 1982, 32, pl. XXIX n°3-4) and as popular as Bes in Naukratis (Masson forthcoming).
For various types of Pataikos amulets see: Herrmann et al. 2010, 75-79 (type 36).
Considering its context of discovery, it 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.
Bulté, J. 1998, ‘À propos d'une tête de Patèque de Tanis Sân 93-351, OAE 3423’, in P. Brissaud and C. Zivie-Coche, Tanis : travaux récents sur le Tell Sân el-Hagar - MFFT 1987-1997, Paris, 379-389.
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.
Wilson, K.L. 1982, Cities of the Delta, Part II: Mendes – Preliminary Report on the 1979 and 1980 Seasons (American Research Center in Egypt Report 5), Malibu.
- Location
- Not on display
- Condition
- Fair
- Acquisition date
- 1886
- Department
- External
- Additional IDs
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Miscellaneous number: Eg.Inv.3907 (Egyptian inventory number)
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Miscellaneous number: P.5278 (Pottery & Porcelain Ledger No.)
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Miscellaneous number: RES.86.331 (Accession Number)
