An Egyptian Bronze Ichneumon Sarcophagus, Late Period, ca 664 - 332 BCE
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A finely cast bronze votive sarcophagus surmounted by a striding ichneumon, shown with elongated body, slender legs, extended tail, and projecting muzzle. The animal stands atop a hollow rectangular coffin-form base with an open underside, characteristic of small Late Period bronze votive coffins produced for sacred animal cults. The figure is rendered in a highly stylized yet lively manner, with particular attention paid to the elegant linearity of the body and tail. The surface bears an attractive mottled green patina with areas of darker oxidation throughout.
The ichneumon, a species of Egyptian mongoose, held important symbolic associations in ancient Egypt due to its famed ability to kill snakes and destroy crocodile eggs. As a protective animal linked with solar triumph over chaos, the ichneumon became associated with the god Atum and aspects of solar renewal. Bronze sarcophagi of this type were produced to contain the mummified remains of sacred animals dedicated as votive offerings within temple precincts during the Late Period.
Animal cults flourished extensively during the first millennium BCE, particularly from the Saite through Ptolemaic periods, when pilgrims commissioned bronze votive objects and animal coffins in honor of specific deities. Ichneumon sarcophagi are considerably rarer than those created for cats, falcons, or ibises, making surviving examples especially desirable.
Medium: Bronze
Dimensions:
Condition: Hollow cast with open underside as made. Minor surface wear and encrustation consistent with age; attractive green patina and areas of oxidation throughout. Intact overall and well preserved.
Provenance: Nora Scott (1905 – 1994), Curator of Egyptian Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, (retired 1972), and acquired from the Metropolitan Museum of Art by deaccession. Gifted to L. Virginia Burton (1918–2009) Associate Curator of Egyptian Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (retired 1977), and then by descent.
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