Seated Sculpture of Zeus or Sarapis

Possessing a remarkable vitality for so small a sculpture, this seated, bearded deity is almost certainly modeled after a giant cult statue, perhaps the gold and ivory image of Serapis found at Alexandria. Serapis was a Hellenistic god whose worship was based in Egypt, blending traits of the Greek Zeus with older Egyptian deities like Osiris. The elegant modeling of this figure suggests that it was carried home from Alexandria as a souvenir by some visitor to the god’s temple. Now it remains as an eloquent reminder of a vanished world.