Scene from a Magical Papyrus

Scene from a Magical Papyrus

The standing winged creature seen here is known as the nineheaded Bes figure, a divine protector of the birth of the king and of the sun. This form of Bes was closely associated with the evening and the night part of the solar cycle. He thus also played an important role as guardian of sleeping women and children, particularly against the dangers of the night, represented here by the noxious creatures contained in the oval upon which he stands. The firebrands that surround him represent destructive forces directed at anyone who approaches.

DATES 7th-4th century B.C.E.

PERIOD Late Period

Brooklyn Museum

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