For sharing fascinating artifacts and replicas

5 readers

1 users here now

Just a magazine for everyone to share artifacts and replicas for the historically-inclined to admire!

founded 2 years ago

Mongoose Figure | Egypt, 664–30 B.C. (Late Period or Ptolemaic Period) (media.kbin.social)

submitted 1 year ago by Deykun@kbin.social to c/HistoryArtifacts@kbin.social

1 comments fedilink hide all child comments

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] Deykun@kbin.social 2 points 1 year ago

A source: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/544088 (currently in The Metropolitan Museum of Art in NY)

During the Late Period and Ptolemaic times mongooses were represented in bronze statuettes such as this one, standing, forepaws raised, atop small bronze boxes. The pose of raised paws signifies the animal's adoration of the sun god when he rises in the morning. Some scholars have identified these animals as otters rather than mongooses.

In myth, mongooses were particularly attached to the goddess of Lower Egypt Wadjet, whose cult was centered in Buto, in the northern Delta.