Naked figure of the god Aha with a broad head on a stocky body standing with bent knees. A lion’s mane and ears frame the figure’s face. The arms with clenched fists hang close to the body and had probably held metal serpents.
Egypt
Middle Kingdom
Hippopotamus tooth
Height 16 cm ( 6 1⁄4 in )
Width 4.9 cm ( 1 7⁄8 in )
Depth 2.9 cm ( 1 1⁄8 in )
Former private collection France; private collection G.B. Göttingen, Germany, acquired prior to 1980
C. Loeben: Aegyptiaca Kesteriana 2 – Bes, Rahden/Westphalen 2020
R. Drenkhan: Elfenbein im Alten Ägypten, Leihgaben aus dem Petrie Museum, Kestner Museum Hannover 1987
The naked figure of the god Aha has a broad head on a stocky body standing with bent knees. A lion’s mane and ears frame the figure’s face. The arms with clenched fists hang close to the body and had probably held metal serpents. The phallus is broken off, as is the left leg and the lion’s tail. A peg under the right foot was used to attach the figure to a base.
Gods similar to Bes were revered as long as four thousand years ago. They were depicted with a naked human body, bent legs, and the mane and tail of a lion, to show that they were very powerful. The male god was called Aha, ‘The Fighter’, and held snakes in his hands. The female counterpart of this god held lizards or rabbits; her name is lost.