Name of Artifact:‌ The Goddess Isis and Her Son Horus

Original Country:‌ Egypt

Year of Production:‌ Ptolemaic Period (332-30 B.C.)

Material:‌ Faience

Dimensions:‌ H. 6 3/4 in. (17 cm)

Current Location:‌ The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA

Background Information:‌
This faience figurine depicts the goddess Isis nurturing her infant son, Horus, a classic motif in ancient Egyptian art. The throne atop Isis’s head, which is the hieroglyph for her name, clearly identifies her. Horus is shown nude with a sidelock, distinguishing his child persona from his adult identity as a falcon-headed god. According to myth, Isis fled into the papyrus marshes to give birth to Horus and hide him from his uncle Seth, who sought to kill the infant and claim the Egyptian throne. In the mythical contest between Horus and Seth, Isis used her power to support her son, ensuring that the gods recognized Horus as the legitimate ruler.

Thousands of such figurines celebrated the mother-child relationship, and even the pharaoh was said to nurse at Isis’s breast in her role as a divine mother. These acts, along with other responsibilities, made Isis the most important Egyptian goddess, venerated throughout Egypt, Nubia, and later the Mediterranean world. This iconic image of mother and child likely inspired early Christian imagery of the Virgin Mary holding the baby Jesus.