Horus Stele (Cippus)
(Ancient Egypt and Nubia )
This small stele (an upright stone slab with an inscription or image) is an amulet inscribed with magical spells to ward off stings and bites from deadly animals and insects-representing wild nature and chaos. The nude figure is the god Horus the Child, clutching a scorpion and a lion in one hand and snakes and an antelope in the other while he stands on two crocodiles. The head of the protective god Bes above Horus strengthens the magical power of this stele.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1923, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
2003-2004 | Secret Signs: Egyptian Writing. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. |
1980 | Undercover Stories in Art. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
Conservation
Date | Description | Narrative |
---|---|---|
Examination | examined for exhibition | |
7/2/2003 | Treatment | cleaned; other |
Geographies
Egypt (Place of Origin)
Measurements
5 1/4 x 2 1/2 in. (13.3 x 6.3 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters, 1923
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
22.173