Crocodile on a shrine-shaped base

Ptolemaic Period

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 134

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.

Crocodile on a shrine-shaped base, Cupreous metal

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Crocodile on a shrine-shaped base, Cupreous metal
Crocodile on a shrine-shaped base, Cupreous metal
Crocodile on a shrine-shaped base, Cupreous metal

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