Harpokrates, literally meaning “Horus
the Child,”
is the god Horus depicted as a child,
distinguished from the various other
forms of
this popular god. Horus, son of Isis,
was
conceived after his father Osiris was
resurrected.
He would grow to avenge his father’s
death, and
as such, Horus was a symbol of victory
and the
kingship, the deification of the earthly
Pharaoh.
In the form of Harpokrates, Horus
represented
both the royal heir and the newborn sun.
Here,
he is depicted in his traditional form,
naked,
symbolizing his innocence, with the
index finger
of his right hand held up to his mouth.
This
gesture was understood to signify
childhood
much as sucking one’s thumb is still to
this day.
He wears the double crown of Lower and
Upper
Egypt adorned by a uraeus cobra,
revealing his
association with the earthly pharaohs.
A braided
lock falls from the side of his crown.
This was
the traditional coiffure for youths in
ancient
Egypt: a shaved head with a side-lock.
He holds
his left hand outwards as if to accept
offering
that would have once been laid in front
of this
work. Over the centuries, the bronze
has
acquired a patina rich in red and green
hues, a
testament to the work’s age. When
gazing at
this gorgeous sculpture, it is easy to
understand
why Harpokrates became such a popular
diety,
later assimilated into the Greek and
Roman
pantheons. Could there be a more
powerful
concept than the combination of youth
and
divine immortality?
- (X.0002)
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