Hellenistic

Limestone statue of a god

The identity of this young plump figure with horns at his forehead and a lion in his right hand is uncertain. Although Herakles is usually shown with a lion, statues of the young Herakles are more likely to show him with the snake that he strangled while still in the cradle. Moreover, Herakles does not appear with animal horns. Possibly Bes, an Egyptian god with a lion's face, is shown here in a Cypriot adaptation. On Cyprus, Bes is sometimes shown with horns sprouting from his leonine head and holding a lion; this figure may be intended to show the deity in a youthful form. WebPub GR 2012 Cesnola: 23 1/2 × 9 1/8 × 5 1/4 in., 35 lb. (59.7 × 23.2 × 13.3 cm, 15.9 kg)

Date

299 - 200 BC

Accession No.

74.51.2747

Collection

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Provenance

Sanctuary of Golgoi-Ayios Photios

References

Cesnola, Luigi Palma di. 1885. A Descriptive Atlas of the Cesnola Collection of Cypriote Antiquities in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Vol. 1. pl. LXXXVII.579, Boston: James R. Osgood and Company.Myres, John L. 1914. Handbook of the Cesnola Collection of Antiquities from Cyprus. no. 1203, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.Karageorghis, Vassos, Joan Mertens, and Marice E. Rose. 2000. Ancient Art from Cyprus: The Cesnola Collection in The Metropolitan Museum of Art. no. 412, p. 254, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.Hermary, Antoine and Joan R. Mertens. 2013. The Cesnola Collection of Cypriot Art : Stone Sculpture. no. 352, p. 259, Online Publication, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.