Apotropaic Bes: Egyptian terracotta figurines depicting the god Bes from the collection of the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts

The article examines eight ancient Egyptian terracotta figurines of the Graeco-Roman Period, stored in the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts; three of them have not been published before. Five objects were acquired by V.S. Golenischev in Egypt, three come from other sources. The figurines are united by a common style – they were made in the form of the ancient Egyptian god Bes, standing in a tense pose with his hands on knees and, apparently, symbolizing a willingness to fight against malign forces. Most of the figurines belong to the Ptolemaic and Roman Periods, but one item should be dated earlier – to the 5th–4th centuries BC. God Bes was considered a protector in the most dangerous and critical life periods (childbirth, sleep, illness, death) and therefore gained wide popularity in Egypt. Probably, in relation to the family, Bes played the same role as the Lares in Ancient Rome, who protected the home, hearth and family. If the ancient Egyptian goddesses, for example, Isis and Taurt, contributed to female fertility and the birth of healthy offspring, then the function of Bes was broader – to guarantee effective protection of everything related to the female sphere (fertility, conception, pregnancy and childbirth). Bes is inextricably linked with the child god Horus / Harpocrates and guarded babies and children from numerous visible and invisible dangers – from evil spirits and diseases to snake and scorpion bites. Due to their apotropaic properties, Bes images become a popular symbol on various household items; in various forms, images of Bes adorned a special part of the house – the bedroom. Figurines of Bes prevail in the home context; however they are also found in burials, and associated with ability of Bes to guard the “sleep” of the deceased.