Statue of the Apis bull

Apis, “the king of all sacred animals” in Egypt is depicted in this votive bronze statue, originating presumably from Saqqara (the necropolis of the city of Memphis), from the period of the Twenty-sixth (Saite) Dynasty. Thanks to the numerous positive characteristics attributed to bulls (procreative power, unfettered life energy), the Apis bull and its cult became part of the rituals connected to Egyptian kingship as early as the beginnings of the country’s written history. In the Late Period, votive bronze statues were produced and erected en masse to pay tribute to the Apis bull, which was considered the living image and earthly manifestation of Ptah. Among them, this well-executed statue is one of the highest quality pieces.
The votive statuette shows the usual depiction of a bull striding forward with its left leg. Between its horns is a sun disc with an uraeus snake and a two-rowed necklace adorned with pendants is hanging down from its neck. The middle part of the back of the bull is covered by a fine shroud, while the figures of a winged sun disc as well as a vulture are incised on the front and rear part of the back, respectively. The white triangle engraved on its forehead was one of the bull’s distinctive physical characteristics, based on which the priests used to select the new earthly incarnation after the death of the one formerly kept in the temple precinct.