Antiquity · Art Institute of Chicago · 180206
Statue of Horus
Egyptian, Ptolemaic Period (332–30 BCE)
Art Institute of Chicago · Gift of the Alsdorf Foundation · Public domain
- Artist
- Egyptian
- Date
- Ptolemaic Period (332–30 BCE)
- Medium
- Basalt
- Dimensions
- 52 × 48.5 × 18.8 cm (20 1/2 × 19 × 7 3/8 in.)
- Era
- Antiquity
Why it matters
From the appearance of the first kings in Egypt (about 3000 BCE), the ruler was considered to be the earthly manifestation of Horus, the god of divine kingship. Statues of Horus in the form of a falcon like this one were displayed in temples as part of the royal cult, which celebrated the ruler’s role as an intercessor between humans and gods.