Herakles (Hercules), hence the town’s Classical name

This precious gold statuette, found in the pavement of the temple of Ihnasya, is one of the few surviving monuments of that ruler. It represents the local god Harsaphes, a ram deity. The Greeks identified him with Herakles (Hercules), hence the town’s Classical name, Herakleopolis Magna. The god appears here in the form of a ram-headed man. As usual, the long wig masks what might otherwise be an awkward transition from the human body to the animal head. The ram’s long corkscrew horns support a tall crown with two ostrich plumes at the sides, known in Egyptian as the Atef, which could be worn by the king as well as various gods, notably Osiris and Harsaphes. Cast using the lost-wax process, the god’s body is svelte and elegant, simply clad in a short wraparound kilt. Chased into the underside of the base is a hieroglyphic inscription naming the ruler along with a prayer for “life and protection.” In the back of the head is a loop for suspension so that the statuette could be worn as an amulet.

Egyptian, Third Intermediate Period, Dynasty 23.