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Following the death of Alexander the Great, his
empire was divided between his three generals,
each of whom set up their own kingdoms. One of
them, Ptolemy, took Egypt as his share and made
Alexandria his capital. Ruling as Ptolemy I Soter,
he established the last dynasty to rule Egypt with
the title of Pharaoh. For the next two and a half
centuries, the Ptolemaic Dynasty of Greeks
controlled Egypt, mingling Hellenic traditions
with the mighty legacy of the Pharaohs.
A fragmentary figure from a larger work, perhaps
an oil lamp, this item derives from the Ptolemaic
period in Egypt. The figure appears to be that of
a man, clinging tightly to something that he
straddles, perhaps the torso of a horse upon
which he is mounted. He also appears to have
scale armor about his midriff, supporting the
notion that this individual may represent
mounted cavalry. The depiction is simple and
almost playfully childlike in its appearance.
Whatever its originally intended function or role
in the larger work, it conveys the charm of an
item used in everyday life in ancient Egypt during
the Ptolemaic period, something that would have
added to the beauty and comfort of the home or
daily surroundings.
- (SP.328)
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