Lion-Headed God, Possibly Horus of Buto

Many Egyptian gods and goddesses were associated with animals. An animal’s physical characteristics were often incorporated into the deity’s depiction, either fully or in abbreviated fashion, in the form of an animal head. Here, a leonine subject has been chosen.

This bronze statue depicts a lion-headed god seated on a block throne. He is dressed in a short, belted kilt, and wears a lappet wig and a floral collar. His headdress consists of a rearing cobra, or uraeus. The scenes of worship incised on the throne’s sides and back suggest that its occupant may have been the warrior-god Horus of Buto, a city in the western Nile delta. Like many Egyptian deities he originally held a scepter, a symbol of power and sovereignty, as we can see by the empty socket in the left hand. The figurine was cast by the lost wax process, which involved a wax model and a clay mold. A coat of silver enhances the statue's eyes and nipples.