This totally looks like Mogli and Baloo from jungle book!
Awww. I guess when you make a mongoose so much bigger than a human, it does look a lot like a bear!
Despite his tiny size, the human here is actually a king. The ichneumon is so much larger because it represents one form of the god Atum. The sculpture is using what is called hierarchical scale to show us who is the most powerful!
Who is represented in this sculpture?
The figure on the left (the tiny human) is meant to represent a king. The figure on the right is called an ichneumon, which is an African mongoose. The mongoose represented a god and the king was making an offering to him.
Why is this kid fighting a platypus?
It's not a platypus actually and their not fighting either, although I see why you might think that. The animal is called an ichneumon, or an African mongoose. It was an animal that was associated with creator god Atum.
The "kid" is meant to be a representation of a king. The way his hands are positioned suggest he once held an offering, given to the god to placate him or curry his favor in some regard.
Tell me more.
The large animal on the bronze figurine you sent is called an ichneumon, which is also known as an African Mongoose, they were seen as the counterpart to the shrew and served a similar purpose to Sun Gods like Re and Horus.
What is happening in this scene?
The human figure represents a king and the animal facing him is a vastly oversized ichneumon or mongoose. The ichneumon was venerated in ancient Egypt for its ability to see in the dark and to kill snakes.
The animal was believed to be able to protect the sun god from dangerous serpents he may encounter in the underworld.
Is that really a mongoose and a king? Seems strange that the mongoose would be so big compared to the king.
The sculpture is definitely of a king and a mongoose! Their size difference is actually because the mongoose represents a god, the god Atum in this case, which, as you can imagine, would be larger than a King! You'll see this kind of size difference in ancient art pretty often actually. It is something called hierarchical scale, where the being with the most power (the highest figure in the hierarchy) is drawn or sculpted larger than everyone else.
And the king seems to be depicted as a boy.
I see what you mean, I think that has a lot to do with his small size and the way that this statuette isn't very detailed.
Thanks so much for the fun interaction and information!
Why is this mongoose referred to as an ichneumon?
Ichneumon was a popular term in Medieval literature that referred to a creature that could defeat serpents and dragons. The term, Greek in origin, has been traced back to the Classical period when it has a similar meaning and more specific ties to Egypt and the pharaoh.
Scholars have determined that the creature referred to as the ichneumon must be the Egyptian mongoose, or an embellished version of the animal. As in Medieval literature, the ancient Egyptians venerated the mongoose for its ability to defeat venomous snakes.
Thanks!
