This rare terracotta figure of a horse is shown in recumbent position with its legs folded, wearing a crown.
 
Hellenistic period Egyptian: Circa 2nd-1st century BC.
 
Condition: Damage to the front legs and part of the crown missing; otherwise, complete and intact.
Length: 5.7 cms (3.2 ins)
 
Provenance: Andrew Cunningham Ware, France / South Florida (1945 - 2024).
 
Notes. The collection describes the item as 'An Egyptian terracotta statuette of Khnum with Atef crown', however no horns can be discerned, and to the eye it looks rather more horse-like. To support this, a similar figure is seen in the Met Museum NY collection at where it is described as 'Terracotta figure of a kneeling horse, with large head and ornamental housings'.
 
While there was no native Egyptian "horse god," the Egyptians adopted foreign deities who were closely linked to them, such as Poseidon/Neptune: During the Hellenistic period, Greek influence brought Poseidon, the god of horses to Egypt. Votives like this could be intended for him or a syncretized version of a local god, or even Astarte, the Canaanite goddess of war often shown riding a horse or chariot.
 
The figure was probably made of Nile mud in the Nile Delta as a votive offering. Such figures in various materials were commonly dedicated by individuals in temples or shrines as acts of personal devotion.