Ancient Egyptian Faience Amulet of Seated Harpokrates – circa 672–30 BCE

A turquoise-glazed representation of Horus the Child

Ancient Egypt | Late Dynastic–Ptolemaic Period | Circa 672–30 BCE
Formerly Keller Family Collection, Alabama

An ancient Egyptian faience amulet depicting Harpokrates, or Horus the Child, seated with one finger raised toward his lips. Its intimate scale and turquoise-blue glaze give graceful expression to the protective and regenerative symbolism associated with this youthful deity.

The god is represented nude and seated, with the distinctive sidelock of youth and characteristic finger-to-mouth gesture identifying his divine childhood. A modeled headdress frames the figure, while a dorsal pillar, horizontally pierced for suspension, allows the sculpture to function as an amulet. At approximately 1.6 inches in height, the work combines a composed silhouette with the luminous surface character of Egyptian faience.

Historical and Cultural Context

Harpokrates, the Hellenized name for Horus the Child, was the divine son of Isis and Osiris. His mythology centered upon the protection of the young Horus by Isis against Seth and other threatening forces, linking him with childhood, healing, divine guardianship, and renewal.

The sidelock and finger-to-mouth gesture are conventional Egyptian symbols of childhood. Although later Greek interpretations associated the gesture with silence, its earlier Egyptian meaning principally signified a young child. Amulets of Harpokrates invoked divine protection and the regenerative powers of Horus in personal and funerary settings.

The blue-green coloration of Egyptian faience evoked water, vegetation, and the renewal of life, making it an especially resonant material for protective and devotional objects.

Object Details

• Culture: Ancient Egyptian
• Period: Late Dynastic–Ptolemaic
• Date: Circa 672–30 BCE
• Medium: Turquoise-blue glazed faience
• Subject: Harpokrates / Horus the Child
• Type: Protective amulet / miniature religious sculpture
• Attributes: Sidelock of youth, finger-to-mouth gesture, seated posture
• Construction: Mold-formed faience with pierced dorsal pillar
• Height: 1.6 inches (4.1 cm)
• Length: 0.9 inches (2.3 cm)
• Width: 0.4 inches (1 cm)

Provenance

Private Keller Family Collection, Alabama, USA; acquired through family inheritance. According to the supplied collecting history, the collection was assembled from private American and European collections between approximately 1935 and the 1950s. Subsequently acquired by LY Brothers Fine Art, Southern California.

Condition

The amulet retains its recognizable seated composition, sidelock of youth, finger-to-mouth gesture, and dorsal pillar with suspension perforation. A detailed conservation or restoration report has not been supplied. Please examine the accompanying photographs carefully for the condition of the turquoise glaze, surface wear, possible small losses, and accumulated deposits.

Gallery Commentary

This intimate representation of Harpokrates unites the familiar imagery of divine childhood with the quiet dignity of a seated figure. The sidelock and raised hand lend the sculpture its distinctive identity, while the turquoise faience enriches its slender contours.

Its reported Keller family collecting history provides further context for an engaging work of interest to collectors of Egyptian antiquities, ancient faience, protective amulets, and miniature religious sculpture.

LY Brothers Fine Art · Southern California
Selected Antiquities & Ancient Works of Art