Head Of The God Harpocrates, Egypt, Greco-roman Period, 300 To 100 Bc.

Large Head of the God Harpocrates Important terracotta head representing the god Harpocrates, characterized by an adolescent face with graceful and expressive features. The open eyes and the softness of the lines reflect an aesthetic influenced by Greek ideals. The wavy hair, adorned with the lock of childhood held by a headband, confirms its identification as Harpocrates, symbol of renewal and protection. Orange terracotta with remains of white plaster from the period. Some chips and losses related to time, slight filling on the nose. An old screw fixes the head to its base. Egypt, Greco-Roman period, 300 to 100 BC. Dimensions: Without base: 11 x 9 cm. With base: 17.5 cm. Provenance: Former collection of François Leboiteux, Paris, After succession, acquired by the latter at the Tajan sale, Drouot, of March 24, 2004, number 9 of the catalog. (a photocopy of the delivery note will be given to the buyer). Sold with a certificate of authenticity from the expert Serge Reynes Guarantee of origin and period. * Shipping costs on estimate. This head illustrates a remarkable symbiosis between the figures of Harpocrates, the Egyptian god of childhood and renewal, and Adonis, the Greek god of beauty and fertility. This association is the result of the religious syncretism that characterizes Egypt under Greek and Roman domination. Harpocrates, a Hellenized version of the child Horus, is traditionally represented with the lock of childhood, an Egyptian symbol of innocence and renewal. Under the influence of Greek culture, his features softened, approaching the Greek aesthetic ideals of harmony and perfection. Adonis, for his part, is a central figure in the Greek world, associated with rebirth and the cycle of nature. His annual death and resurrection symbolize fertility and renewal, themes also present in the attributes of Harpocrates. In Greco-Roman Egypt, this transcultural association allowed the qualities of the two divinities to be merged: the divine youth of Harpocrates, rooted in Egyptian traditions, and the ideal of beauty of Adonis, imbued with Greek values. This terracotta head, with its graceful features and iconography, embodies this spiritual and artistic union. Under the influence of the Ptolemies, Egypt became a cultural crossroads where Egyptian and Greek traditions mingled. This syncretism reflected not only a political desire to bring cultures closer together, but also a religious adaptation intended to integrate the different communities. The representations of Harpocrates then adopted Greek stylistic elements while retaining their Egyptian roots, creating unique works, such as this head, where Greek idealization and the deeply rooted symbols of Egyptian tradition come together.