The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 25, 2024

Naophorous Statue of the Finance Officer and Overseer of Fields, Horwedja

521–486 BCE

Egypt, Late period

(715–332 BCE), Dynasty 27, reign of Darius I (522–486 BCE)

graywacke

Overall: 43 x 14 x 23.2 cm (16 15/16 x 5 1/2 x 9 1/8 in.)

Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust 1920.1978

Location: 107 Egyptian

Description

Naophorous (naos.bearing) statues show the subject holding a naos, or shrine, containing an image of a deity, in this case the god Ptah of Memphis. These statues were very popular during the Late Period. Almost invariably they are of hard stone, made to last for eternity. As finance officer under Darius I, Horwedja was in a good position to afford such a monument. Darius I was the second Persian king to rule over Egypt and the only one who seems to have had a genuine appreciation of the country. Egypt prospered under his rule, and the arts flourished.

Memphite area. Purchased from Nicolas Tano, Cairo, through Howard Carter
The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1966. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1966. Reproduced: p. 6 archive.org
The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1969. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1969. Reproduced: p. 6 archive.org
The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978. Reproduced: p. 16 archive.org
Berman, Lawrence M., and Kenneth J. Bohač. Catalogue of Egyptian Art: The Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1999 Reproduced and Mentioned: p. 422-3
Brooklyn 1960-61, no. 61
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Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1920.1978