Romano-Egyptian Bronze Harpocrates and Sphinx Amulet Group, 4 Pendants

拍品描述

Egypt, Romano-Egyptian, ca. 30 BCE – 200 CE. A group of four cast bronze miniature amulets. Three are standing figures with the hand raised toward the mouth, the gesture identifying them as Harpocrates, the Greek and Roman form of the child Horus, invoked as a protective deity of the young and of renewal; the finger-to-lips pose, an Egyptian convention for childhood, was later read as an injunction to silence. The fourth is a recumbent sphinx form with a lateral suspension hole. Three retain integral suspension loops to wear as protective charms. Size of largest: 1.05" H x 0.25" Diam (2.7 cm H x 0.6 cm Diam); Size of smallest: 0.82" H x 0.21" Diam (2.1 cm H x 0.5 cm Diam). Harpocrates, the Greek rendering of Egyptian Har-pa-khered ("Horus the Child"), was among the most widely reproduced amuletic figures of the first millennium BCE. He is conventionally shown nude, with the sidelock of youth and one finger lifted to the mouth, a gesture Greek and Roman viewers later misread as an injunction to silence and adopted as the emblem of secrecy. In Egypt the meaning was healing: the child god who survived the assaults of Set became the guarantor of survival for the amulet's wearer. The sphinx, by contrast, carries royal rather than medical force. A lion's body governed by a human head, it fuses the ferocity of the desert predator with the ordering intelligence of the king, and in amuletic miniature it served as a compact guardian at thresholds both bodily and tomb-bound. SHIPPING: We coordinate worldwide shipping in-house through specialist international forwarders experienced with fine art and antiquities customs manifests. International buyers must confirm, prior to bidding, that their country's customs authority will accept the item. All duties, taxes, clearance fees, and any costs arising from customs delays, seizures, re-export, returns, or loss in transit are the buyer's sole responsibility. Artemis assumes no liability for items refused entry, detained, or lost after export. We cannot ship ancient items to their country of origin (Egyptian to Egypt, Greek to Greece, etc.).For those not using LiveAuctioneers' Live Ship program, Artemis Fine Arts offers expert in-house packing and worldwide shipping. With over 20 years of experience, our team provides careful, reliable, and affordable service. For a quick quote on this lot, please contact support@artemisfinearts.com prior to the auction, or call 720-890-7700. PAYMENT EXCEPTION: For clients not previously established with Artemis, payment for all gold, precious metal, and gemstone lots must be made by bank wire transfer or certified bank check/money order, without exception. Item #204632

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