Crocodile on a shrine-shaped base

Unknown

332–30 B.C. · Cupreous metal · Egyptian Art

A crocodile on a shrine represents the god Sobek. Sobek was an important god throughout Egypt, and with important cult centers in both Upper Egypt and the Fayum. Associated with the Nile floods and fertility, Sobek's centrality in the Fayum led to his being associated with royal power during the Middle Kingdom, and then directly with the god Re. By the Ptolemaic period, he was identified with numerous deities, taking on the aspect of a universal god.

Artist

Unknown

Date

332–30 B.C.

Medium

Cupreous metal

Department

Egyptian Art

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1958