Detail of The God Tutu as a Sphinx in the Brooklyn Museum, March 2010

The God Tutu as a Sphinx Tramping on Serpents

Tutu, a latecomer to the Egyptian pantheon, first appeared during the Late Period (about 580 B.C.). He was usually shown as a lion with a human head. This image was derived from the royal sphinx, from which Tutu also received his nemes (royal headdress) and the uraeus cobra at his brow. Tutu's tail ended in a snake head, and often, as here, he was shown treading on snakes. He was believed to control fate; people prayed to him for good fortune and also for food.

Medium: Limestone, painted

Dates: 1st century C.E. or later

Period: Roman Period

Dimensions: 14 1/4 x 5 1/16 x 16 11/16 in. (36.2 x 12.8 x 42.4 cm)

Collections: Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art

Museum Location: This item is on view in Egypt Reborn: Art for Eternity, Temples and Tombs, Martha A. and Robert S. Rubin Gallery, 3rd Floor

Accession Number: 37.1509E

Credit Line: Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund

Text from: www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/118040