Horus Protecting Nectanebo Ii
The falcon is larger than the king, who stands between its legs. Both figures are carved from metagraywacke and share a continuous polished surface, linking the god and pharaoh in one block of stone.
Examine in 3D ↗Exhibition 03 · Devotion, protection, passage
Sacred Forms
Works associated with prayer, protection, remembrance, and passage. They come from distinct traditions and should be understood in relation to their original settings.
Begin exhibition ↓About this exhibition
These works were made for specific religious, ceremonial, commemorative, or protective purposes. Their function, materials, and original settings are central to understanding them; the object records provide the available context.
False door
This is a limestone false door for the priest Iryenakhet, not an opening door. In ancient Egyptian funerary practice, false doors provided a symbolic point through which the deceased could receive offerings; the frontal design supports that use.
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Buddha Draped in Robes Portraying the Realms of Desire
The robe carries carved images of the realms of desire across the chest, shoulders, and back. The program continues around the body, so a single frontal view does not show the whole design.
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Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara (Gwaneum)
This Goryeo-period bodhisattva of compassion is made of gilt wood with copper, iron, and crystal elements. Low-angle light helps distinguish the gilding from the inset materials.
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Ganesha
Javanese carvers made this figure from andesite, a volcanic stone with a visibly pitted grain. The transition between elephant head and human body is carved as a continuous form rather than a joined assembly.
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Zemi Cohoba Stand
Made around 1000 CE from guaiacum wood with shell inlay, this figure functions as a stand. Its dense wood and supporting form are central to how the object was made and used.
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Gelede Helmet Mask
This helmet mask was worn on top of the head rather than over the face. The hollow underside shows how it was fitted for a dancer’s crown.
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Kongo Maternity Figure
Wood, glass, beads, brass tacks, and pigment are combined in this maternity figure. The mother’s arm and the child form the central structural link in the composition.
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Pieta
This is a cast after Michelangelo’s marble Pietà, completed before he was twenty-five. The original is the only work he signed, with the signature placed on the strap across Mary’s chest.
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Saint George
Donatello positioned Saint George with weight forward, legs apart, and shield grounded. The stance was designed to be legible from the street below the original niche.
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