Egyptian Bronze Oxyrhynchus Fish Egyptian Bronze Oxyrhynchus Fish Egyptian Bronze Oxyrhynchus Fish Egyptian Bronze Oxyrhynchus Fish Egyptian Bronze Oxyrhynchus Fish
Egyptian Bronze Oxyrhynchus Fish
Egyptian Bronze Oxyrhynchus Fish
Egyptian Bronze Oxyrhynchus Fish
Egyptian Bronze Oxyrhynchus Fish
Egyptian Bronze Oxyrhynchus Fish

Egyptian Bronze Oxyrhynchus Fish

SKU: SC.0006

Origin: Egypt
Circa: Late Period, 664 BC to 332 BC 
Dimensions: 3.5" Height x 5.5" Length (9 cm x 14 cm) 
Medium: Bronze

A finely cast bronze sculpture representing a fish (known as oxyrhynchus) which is here depicted in typical form with a blunt tapered snout, a long dorsal crest, and bifurcated tail.  The eyes are delicately incised, along with the details of the side fins, dorsal fin, tail and broad collar. The body is surmounted by a headdress with a frontal uraeus, topped by a solar disc between cow’s horns, the crown of the goddess Hathor, to whom the fish was sacred. Attached at the bottom by ventral and pectoral fins to an integral rectangular base.

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$5,000.00

Private West Coast Collection, 1970's. Art Market New York, February 10th, 2006. David Zahler Collection, Newport Beach California. Thence by descent.

Fine condition as seen, with oxidation to the bronze throughout.

The Oxyrhynchus fish, or medjed, is an elephant fish that was a primary focus of worship around the Egyptian city of Per-Medjed (Greek Oxyrhynchus) in Upper Egypt. It was closely associated with both the god Osiris and the goddess Hathor and held sacred, particularly in the town of the same name mentioned above, Oxyrhynchus (modern el-Behnasa), as well as at el-Omari, the site of a necropolis for mummified fish.

For similar examples see The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Object Number: 04.2.660 and the Walters Art Museum, Accession Number 54.2125.

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