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Figurine of Harpocrates

Clay, gesso, pigment
Graeco-Roman Period (2nd–3rd century CE)
Karanis, Egypt. U-M excavations, 1929. KM 6449

Harpocrates leans against a pink amphora, which rests on a yellow base, while holding a pink, rounded pot in his left arm. Next to him stands a red and blue oven, on top of which sits a black, spotted pile of bread. Looking closely, you can see painted facial features, including black eyes, a red mouth, yellow curls, and a pink and blue crown adorning his head.

Visible light (VIS) image of the Harpocrates figurine (KM 6449) showing how the object looks under normal visible light conditions.
Ultraviolet-induced visible luminescence (UVL) image of Harpocrates (KM 6449) showing the orange-pink fluorescent locations of rose madder pigment in the crown.
Infrared reflectance false color (IRRFC) image of Harpocrates (KM 6449) showing the locations of red and yellow ochre pigments. Red ochre is indicated by the brownish-yellow in the oven, red ochre and white pigment mixes are indicated by the brownish-yellow in the amphora and the pot in Harpocrates’ left arm, and yellow ochre is indicated by the greenish-yellow in the amphora base and the god’s hair.
Visible-induced infrared luminescence (VIL) image of Harpocrates (KM 6449) showing the bright white luminescent locations of Egyptian blue pigment on the oven and crown.