AN UNPUBLISHED TERRACOTTA FROM TANTA MUSEUM, EGYPT

This research studies a terracotta statue of a woman representing the conjunction of the Egyptian goddess Isis and the Greek one Aphrodite. It is currently preserved at Tanta Museum under No. 3658. The decorative elements in the statue represent a mixture of Egyptian and Greek details, as seen through her jewellery and headdress. The statue is dated to the end of the 2nd century BC and the beginning of the 1st century BC. The identification is compared to the representations of concubines in Ptolemaic Egypt and the arguments in favour of it showing the goddess or a concubine are presented, using similar statuary and examples. This research studies a terracotta statue of a woman representing the conjunction of the Egyptian goddess Isis and the Greek one Aphrodite. It is currently preserved at Tanta Museum under No. 3658. The decorative elements in the statue represent a mixture of Egyptian and Greek details, as seen through her jewellery and headdress. The statue is dated to the end of the 2nd century BC and the beginning of the 1st century BC. The identification is compared to the representations of concubines in Ptolemaic Egypt and the arguments in favour of it showing the goddess or a concubine are presented, using similar statuary and examples.