Harpokrates

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Culture Roman

Origin possibly Egypt

Title Harpokrates

Date 50–150 CE

Medium Bronze

Dimensions Overall: 9 3/8 × 3 3/16 × 2 1/16 in. (23.9 × 8.1 × 5.2 cm)

Credit Line Burton Y. Berry Collection, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University

Accession Number 76.35.43

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About this Work

During the Ptolemaic period the “Horus-as-Child” manifestation of the god was transformed into Harpokrates (Horus-as-child = Har-pa-khered = Harpokrates). The transformation of “Horus-as-child” into Harpokrates was accompanied by a comparable refashioning of the god’s image. The Egyptian form of the god is represented as a young boy wearing a side-lock and holding his finger to his mouth. The Greco-Egyptian version generally follows the format for a young Eros without wings, with the Egyptian nature of the god provided by the headdress.

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Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.

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"Harpokrates | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=76.35.43