Statue of the Apis bull

Apis, “the king of all sacred animals” in Egypt is depicted in this bronze statue, probably dated to the Late Period. 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.
The statuette shows the usual depiction of a bull on a pedestal, striding forward with its left leg. He is wearing a sun disc between his horns from which an uraeus snake emerges. The surface of the statue is oxidised and damaged at some spots. Traces of a pin can be observed in the middle part of the pedestal.