Horus on the Crocodiles

The front of this trapezoidal plaque of greenish to light brown stone is carved with an image of the god Horus standing on the backs of two crocodiles facing in opposite directions. Above and behind Horus appears the bearded frontal face of the protective deity Bes, rendered on a much larger scale. Horus is also shown frontally. He is depicted as a child, with a lock of hair on the right side of his head indicating his youth. His hands grasp dangerous creatures, including scorpions and snakes. To the left of the scene is a falcon atop a papyrus emblem, and to the right a lotus emblem associated with the god Nefertum. Other motifs incised in the background include a figure spearing a snake. These images are key to the function of this small-scale relief: to cure and protect from snake bites, scorpion stings, and other wounds and ailments. The face and chest of Horus and the brows of Bes—the most prominent parts of the relief—are worn and chipped, but the rest of the surface is well-preserved. The back of the plaque shows a roughly engraved figural scene at top and 13 lines of hieroglyphic writing below. The narrow edges of the plaque are inscribed, as well. No surface is left blank. These texts or pseudo-texts reinforced the magic properties of this portable object. Depictions of Horus on the Crocodiles were in use from dynasty 18 (c. 1550–1295 BCE) through the Roman period (30 BCE–395 CE). They range in size from small-scale amulets (compare 1969.177.108) to large stone reliefs. Scholars often refer to these objects as "cippi" with a Latin term. On a larger, uninscribed cippus in the Harvard Art Museums collection, Horus and Bes are joined by other divine figures (1991.642).