Late Period Egyptian Faience Cippus Statue, ca. 664–332 BCE

Description

of pale green faience, depicting the dwarf god Pataikos standing on a plinth, the god with a scarab on his head and a Horus-falcon on each shoulder, holding a serpent in each hand, flanked by a standing figure of Isis to his right, and sister Nephthys to his left, the flat-back stele-form pillar incised with a winged Isis wearing a horned sun-disk, pierced behind his head for suspension.
The Pataikos cippus amulet, like the closely related examples featuring Horus-the-Child, was designed to give magical protection against noxious creatures, such as crocodiles and serpents. For a complete discussion of the type see pp. 38-39 in Andrews, Amulets of Ancient Egypt.

Bibliography: Ben-Tor, Daphna, The Immortals of Ancient Egypt, Israel Museum, Jerusalem, 1997, for a related example.  Derriks, Antiquités égyptiennes au musée royal de Mariemont, 2009, pp. 238-239 and Andrews, Amulets of Ancient Egypt, p. 39, no. 34. 

Condition:  loss to top of head, elbow and corner professionally restored and some minor glaze wear otherwise intact and overall in very condition.

Dimensions:  Height:  8.25 cm ( 3 1/4 inches) 

Provenance:  Private Maryland collection, deaccessioned from the Walters Art Museum, 1973.