Falcons of this type, in mummiform appearance and crouching on their base, are called akhem from the corresponding hieroglyphic sign meaning ‘divine image’. These hawks adorned the corner pillars and vaulted lids of qeresw-type sarcophagi as well as the lids of naos cysts for canopic jars, protecting human remains. The four examples in the Acerbi collection, in stuccoed and painted wood, differ slightly in size, polychromy and style of execution, but not in function.
Where to see this work of art
Late Period (664-332 BC) – Ptolemaic Period (332-30 BC)
stuccoed and painted wood
