Dish

Originally from Greece, Egypt’s Ptolemaic rulers (332–30 B.C.E.) sought to unite their kingdom’s Greek and Egyptian populations. They created Serapis as a god both populaces could worship. Millennia later, in urban Sierra Leone, newcomers similarly created a transcultural masquerade to appeal to blended neighborhoods. Serapis fused the Greek and Egyptian “kings of the gods” (Zeus and Amun) with Osiris, Egyptian Lord of the Underworld. This unusual two-headed bust of Serapis combines human and animal features. It has the horns of Apis (the Egyptian bull god, who became Osiris-Apis upon death) and the curls of Greek gods. The female figure may be his consort (Isis/Hera). Bearing both Greek and Egyptian elements, this sculpture had transcultural appeal.