<em>The Goddess Neith</em>, ca. 380–30 B.C.E. or later. Bronze, electrum, 12 3/8 x 4 3/4 x 2 5/8 in. (31.4 x 12.1 x 6.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 37.357E. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 37.357E_NegA_glass_bw_SL4.jpg)

The Goddess Neith, ca. 380–30 B.C.E. or later. Bronze, electrum, 12 3/8 x 4 3/4 x 2 5/8 in. (31.4 x 12.1 x 6.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 37.357E. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 37.357E_NegA_glass_bw_SL4.jpg)

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Who is this?

That bronze statuette depicts the goddess Neith. The goddess originated in Lower Egypt, the Nile Delta region. The crown she wears is the crown of Lower Egypt and she is seen as its protector.

The Goddess Neith

Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art

On View: Old Kingdom to 18th Dynasty, Egyptian Galleries, 3rd Floor

The complex nature of Egyptian deities is often indicated by their attributes. Osiris’s tightly wrapped mummy shroud and his crook and flail (symbolizing kingship) point to the legend of Osiris’s murder, mummification, and subsequent resurrection as the ruler of the underworld. The cobra held by his wife, Isis, represents the magic that revived her husband and guarded their son, Horus. As the rightful heir to Osiris’s throne and the embodiment of kingship, the falcon-god Horus wears the Double Crown.

Animals can also reveal divine qualities. The cow or cow-human forms of Hathor refer to her role as provider of milk to Horus and to young kings of Egypt. Bastet, another benevolent female deity, appears as a cat or cat-headed woman, carrying a basket and sistrum.

Certain deities, including Neith, Ptah, Nefertem, and Imhotep, were portrayed in human form. The ancient protectress Neith, associated with war and hunting, wears the flat-topped Red Crown of Lower Egypt. The Memphite creator-god Ptah holds a staff with hieroglyphs for life and permanence. Ptah’s son, Nefertem, a lotus on his head (symbolizing rebirth), defends Maat with his scimitar. Imhotep, the deified architect of Djoser’s pyramid, shares Ptah’s close-fitting cap, and the papyrus on his lap emphasizes wisdom and creativity.

MEDIUM Bronze, electrum

Reportedly From: Memphis, Egypt

DATES ca. 380–30 B.C.E. or later

PERIOD Late Period to Ptolemaic Period

DIMENSIONS 12 3/8 x 4 3/4 x 2 5/8 in. (31.4 x 12.1 x 6.7 cm) mount (display dimensions): 14 x 3 x 4 in. (35.6 x 7.6 x 10.2 cm) (show scale)

COLLECTIONS Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art

ACCESSION NUMBER 37.357E

CREDIT LINE Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund

CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION Bronze figure of Neith striding upon a rectangular base. The goddess has her left arm extended to hold (the hand is pierced) a now missing staff (or bow). The eyes are gilded. On the base is an incised inscription giving a genealogy. Condition: Most of black/green patina has been cleaned off. Remains of stave and scepter in hands.

EXHIBITIONS

MUSEUM LOCATION This item is on view in Old Kingdom to 18th Dynasty, Egyptian Galleries, 3rd Floor

CAPTION The Goddess Neith, ca. 380–30 B.C.E. or later. Bronze, electrum, 12 3/8 x 4 3/4 x 2 5/8 in. (31.4 x 12.1 x 6.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 37.357E. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 37.357E_NegA_glass_bw_SL4.jpg)

IMAGE overall, 37.357E_NegA_glass_bw_SL4.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph

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RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY

You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.

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Download our app and ask your own questions during your visit. Here are some that others have asked.

Who is this?

That bronze statuette depicts the goddess Neith. The goddess originated in Lower Egypt, the Nile Delta region. The crown she wears is the crown of Lower Egypt and she is seen as its protector.