Description
Ptah was believed to have created the world with his words. He was the main god at Memphis and patron god of craftsmen and artists. Here, he holds a composite scepter combining three symbols: "was" (well-being), "ankh" (life), and "djed" (stability).
Provenance
[Found in Mitrahina]; Dikran Kelekian, New York and Paris [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1914, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Inscriptions
[Translation] On the ramp of the base: To be recited: Ptah the Lord of Truth; on the platform only the name "Ptah" has survived.
Credit
Acquired by Henry Walters, 1914