• Reading Public Museum
    Open 11a-5p DailyAdmission
  • Neag Planetarium
    Show ScheduleAdmission
  • Arboretum
    Open everyday from sunrise to sunset
Collections Menu

Isis with the Infant Horus

Isis with the Infant Horus

Culture: Egyptian

Date: c. 550 BC
Medium: bronze
Dimensions:
Overall: 11 1/2 x 3 1/2 x 5 in. (29.2 x 8.9 x 12.7 cm)
Credit Line:Museum Purchase
Object number: 1948.1.1
For the ancient Egyptians the image of the goddess Isis suckling her son Horus was a powerful symbol of rebirth that was carried into the Ptolemaic period and later transferred to Rome, where the cult of the goddess was established. She also wears a vulture head-covering reserved for queens and goddesses. Following ancient conventions for indicating childhood, Horus is naked and wears a single lock of hair on the right side of his head.
In Collection(s)