Circa: 664 BC to 525 BC
Dimensions: 5" (12.7cm) high
Style: 26th Dynasty
Condition: Extra Fine
The 26th Dynasty, also known as the Saite Period, is traditionally placed by scholars at the end of the Third Intermediate Period or at the beginning of the Late Dynastic Period. In either case, the Saite Period rose from the ashes of a decentralized Egyptian state that had been ravaged by foreign occupation. Supported by the assistance of a powerful family centered in the Delta town of Sais, the Assyrians finally drove the Nubians out of Egypt. At the close of this campaign, Ashurbanipal’s kingdom was at the height of its power; however, due to civil strife back east, he was forced to withdraw his forces from Egypt. Psamtik I, a member of the family from Sais, seized this opportunity to assert his authority over the entire Nile Valley and found his own dynasty, the 26th of Egyptian history. Known as the Saite Period due to the importance of the capital city Sais, the 26th Dynasty, like many before it, sought to emulate the artistic styles of past pharaohs in order to bolster their own claims to power and legitimize their authority.
Ptah, the creator god, is regarded as one of the greatest deities in the Egyptian pantheon. Ancient inscriptions describe him as “creator of the earth, father of the gods and all the being of this earth, father of beginnings.” He was regarded as the patron of metalworkers and artisans (possibly due to the fact that he was believed to fashion the bodies of humans for the afterlife) and as a mighty healer and is usually represented as a mummy with a smooth head holding a scepter of dominion, as he can be seen here. In fact, the characteristic iconography of Ptah had been firmly established as early as the 1st Dynasty, proving that this deity was older than Pharaonic Egypt. The main center of his worship was in Memphis. It was actually Ptah’s inseparable connection to the capital that led, indirectly through the Greeks, to the modern European word of “Egypt.” In the temple of Ptah at Memphis, the sacred Apis bull resided, who was viewed as an intermediary between this powerful deity and mankind. - (X.0343)