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Identification and Creation

Object Number
1919.531
Title
Nefertem
Classification
Sculpture
Work Type
sculpture, statuette
Date
mid 7th-late 1st century BCE
Places
Creation Place: Ancient & Byzantine World, Africa, Egypt (Ancient)
Period
Late Period to Ptolemaic
Culture
Egyptian
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/303676

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Leaded bronze
Technique
Cast, lost-wax process
Dimensions
19.1 x 5 x 5.1 cm (7 1/2 x 1 15/16 x 2 in.)
Technical Details

Chemical Composition: ICP-MS/AAA data from sample, Leaded Bronze:
Cu, 82.84; Sn, 8.58; Pb, 8.14; Zn, 0.015; Fe, 0.09; Ni, 0.13; Ag, 0.05; Sb, 0.03; As, less than 0.10; Bi, less than 0.025; Co, 0.113; Au, less than 0.01; Cd, less than 0.001

J. Riederer

Technical Observations: The patina is generally brown with scattered red and green. The surface is moderately pitted, and there is evidence of extensive mechanical corrosion removal. Most of the interstices in the crown have been cleared of corrosion products and burial accretion. Two areas remain uncleaned. The petal immediately above the face has three very small flecks of what appears to be gold. The statuette is a solid cast. Both feet are missing.


Tony Sigel (submitted 2001)

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History
Mr. and Mrs. William de Forest Thompson, gift; to the Fogg Art Museum, 1919.

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. William de Forest Thomson
Accession Year
1919
Object Number
1919.531
Division
Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact
am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
Permissions

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Descriptions

Published Catalogue Text: Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Bronzes at the Harvard Art Museums
As the divine lotus, the anthropomorphic figure of Nefertem wears an elaborate floral headdress. The lotus flower (or waterlily), which opens in the morning and closes again at night, had powerful solar associations for the ancient Egyptians. Here Nefertem is shown wearing a pleated kilt with a tab between his legs, the left one advanced in a striding position. In his proper right hand, he carries a scimitar across one shoulder and holds his left hand clenched at his side (1). His open lotus flower crown was cast to allow inlays of an unknown substance to be set in the petals. The central spike represents the simplification of what were originally tall feathers. A small suspension loop extends from the juncture of his tripartite wig and the crown. A uraeus graces the front of the wig, while two counterpoises anchor the blossom on either side. The rounded musculature of the arms and torso emphasizes the youthfulness of the god. The heavy statue is broken just above the ankles and several areas show signs of modern filing.

NOTES:

1. For similar examples holding a scimitar, see G. Roeder, Ägyptische Bronzefiguren, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin Mitteilungen aus der Ägyptischen Sammlung 6 (Berlin, 1956) pls. 3.c-d, 3.g, and 4.e. Compare also an example from Bubatis in J. F. Aubert and L. Aubert, eds., Bronzes et or Egyptiens (Paris, 2001) 293, pl. 38, dated to Dynasties 26-30; and a statuette at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, inv. no. 10.175.131.


Marian Feldman

Subjects and Contexts

  • Ancient Bronzes

Verification Level

This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu