Falcon-headed crocodile, possibly Soknopaios

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The falcon-headed crocodile suggests the combination of the powers of two great deities, Sobek who takes crocodile form and Re who has a falcon head. However, the identification of this small image may be more specific. An important creator god Soknopaios - whose Egyptian name meant Sobek of Dimeh in the Fayum - was recognized by Ptolemaic times. A temple for this god with Isis was founded in Dimeh (ancient Soknopaios Nesos) apparently about 250 BC, and remained in use for centuries. The god was represented as a falcon-headed crocodile here and elsewhere in the Fayum. It has been suggested that the falcon head of Soknopaios alludes to association with the goddess Isis's son Horus. This small image suggests the vigor of the animal stretching his neck upward and the mottled stone emphsizes his powerful body. In contrast is the serene blue of the watery environment studded with colorful plants.

Egyptian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met collection of ancient Egyptian art consists of approximately 30,000 objects of artistic, historical, and cultural importance, dating from about 300,000 BCE to the 4th century CE. A signifcant percentage of the collection is derived from the Museum's three decades of archaeological work in Egypt, initiated in 1906 in response to increasing interest in the culture of ancient Egypt.

Metropolitan Museum of Art