Two Ancient Egyptian Heads of Harpokrates Ex. Gustave Jéquier (1868-1946)
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$495.00
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Two small terracotta heads of Harpokrates, one wearing an Atef crown and the other wearing the "youthful" customary side-lock. Both holding forefingers to their mouths and one holding the club of Herakles. Late Period to Ptolemaic Period, 664-30 B.C.
Harpokrates was the son of Osiris and Isis and was born in the papyrus marshes of Chemmis in the northern Delta. He was worshiped in many different forms throughout the Greek and Roman periods.
Children wore a special hairstyle during ancient Egyptian history, called the “side-lock" as in this example. The hair was shaved off except for a long lock of hair left on the side of the head. This was represented in hieroglyph as a symbol for depicting a child or a youth. Both boys and girls wore this hair style until puberty.
Provenance: Collected by Gustave Jéquier (1868-1946)
Ex. Billy Jamieson Collection, 2009 (1954-2011)
Authentication: Gayle Gibson, Royal Ontario Museum Toronto