Head from a Statue with Magical Texts

myminifactory

Magical texts like those on nearby Metternich stela likely covered all but face, feet, and hands of statue this fragment belonged to. Statue would have stood in temple where it could be visited by people seeking healing. Inscribed statues of this type can almost all be dated back to fourth century. A man well-advanced in years is depicted, his skin soft with fine creases but small eyes and wide moustache still firm. Realistic representations are known from late Dynasty 26 and probably continued through Persian Period, although little can be assigned to that interval with certainty; thereafter they remained continuously popular until end of Ptolemaic Period.