ichneumon

Bronze figure of an ichneumon, mongoose, surmounted by a uraus crown. In myth the sun god Ra took the form of an ichneumon to defeat Apophis, the great serpent of the underworld. The animal was sacred to the goddess Wadjet, and became a symbol of the spirits of the underworld. Country of Origin: Egypt. Culture: Ancient Egyptian. Period: Late Period, 6th - 4th C BC. Material/ Size: Bronze, 17.8 cm height . Credit Line: Werner Forman Archive/ Sold at Christie's, 1998. Location: 49.