Hathor, a powerful deity with wide ranging responsibilities among the gods, is the subject of this exceptional aegis and her affiliation with cows is an old one, dating back to the early dynastic period. She represented everything from love, to beauty, to music, joy, and fertility. Known as the "Lady of the West" and "Mother of Mothers," she acted primarily as a nurturing sky deity. Our head depicts a goddess with a cow’s face and this zoomorphism and the sun disk between her horns convey her powerful divinity. The subject matter and the animal’s benevolent expression, along with the skillfully cast bronze likeness, make this a true masterpiece of Late Period craftsmanship.
