Modern scholars believe that the worship of
Sobek, the crocodile god, arose from a fear of
these ferocious beasts. However, crocodiles
were not universally feared in ancient Egypt. In
certain regions, they were held sacred. Some
were even tamed, kept in shallow pools and
temples, embellished with jewelry and hand fed
fresh meats, milk, and honey by reverent priests.
While this may have been the case, it was
certainly the exception; for throughout the
greater part of the land, crocodiles remained a
constant threat both to sailors cruising along the
Nile as well as workers tilling the fertile banks of
the mighty river. Sobek, the crocodile god, is
either represented in the form of a crocodile, as
he is here, or with the body of a human man with
the head of the animal. A water deity, Sobek was
the most popular deity in the oasis city of
Arsinoe (renamed Crocodilopolis by the Greeks),
one of the places where tamed crocodile were
openly revered. Archaeologists have unearthed
numerous examples of mummified crocodiles,
and in some cases even their eggs, revealing the
Ancient Egyptian’s honor for this powerful deity.
The Nile was the life source of Ancient Egpyt,
however, this waterway was filled with
dangerous, unpredictable beasts. In order to
mollify the danger of these wild animals, Sobek
was honored with prayers, sacrifices, and
libations, thereby ensuring a prosperous harvest
and safe sailing.
This gray stone sculpture of Sobek in the form of
a crocodile is a splendid example of the stylized
naturalism that characterizes Egyptian art. While
subject of the work is unmistakable and his head
is rendered with a fair amount of realism, the
texture of the body has been conveyed through a
series of abstract patterns that appear more
fanciful than imitative. However, while these
patterns are clearly of the sculptor’s own
creation, they do marvelously convey the thick,
scaly hide of these beasts. The top of the
crocodile’s back is filled with small donut-
shaped markings that spill over onto hi neck.
The sides of his body and his legs are marked by
a diagonal grid pattern. Meanwhile, his
fragmented tail is decorated with a larger brick
pattern. These geometric patterns belie the
naturalism of the face. His eyes and the skin
around them have been carefully incised and his
sharp fangs have been indicated by a series of
triangles around his narrow mouth. A double-
plumed headdress, perhaps made from a less
durable material such as wood, may have
originally been inserted into the hole in his head,
thereby revealing his divine nature. Hundreds of
years ago, when wild beasts still lurked
alongside human civilization, this sculpture
would have been worshipped in order to protect
the people and ensure the prosperity of the
Kingdom.
- (X.0189)
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