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Votive statuette of an apis bull

Votive statuette of an apis bull
 664 BCE-332 BCE

Medium
bronze, gold, electrum
Measurements
13.5 × 3.7 × 11.2 cm
Place/s of Execution
Egypt
Accession Number
1007-D4
Department
Antiquities
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Gift of Miss Ola Cohn, 1950
© Public Domain
This digital record has been made available on NGV Collection Online through the generous support of Digitisation Champion Ms Carol Grigor through Metal Manufactures Limited
Gallery location
18th Century Decorative Arts - Great Hall Costume Corridor
Level 2, NGV International
Physical description
Small, votive figure of an apis bull shown walking on a hollow, rectangular base. The bull stands with its left fore and hind legs forward and the tail is attached to the right hind leg. It wears a solar disc and uraeus and a decorated cloth over its back. A winged hawk is incised over the shoulders and a winged vulture over the flanks; both the birds wear solar discs. The cloth on the back is incised with a 4-petal interlocking motif with a central panel enclosing a scarab. On the bull's forehead is an inverted triangle of silver or electrum and the eyes are inlaid with gold and a black metal. There are incised lines at the base of the horns and the platform is inscribed in hieroglyphs around the front and one long side. The statuette was dedicated by one Petese. All the details are roughly incised. The bull is slightly damaged on the right flank and shoulder and the right side of the base is worn with parts missing.