The God Bes

Bes, the dwarf god, stands atop a lotus or papyrus column with arms resting on his thighs, echoing the bow shape of his legs. The figure would have served as a handle or finial for a large piece (1). Bes is characterized by a large round head with stylized facial features, such as deep-set eyes, a flat nose with flaring nostrils, and a long mustache or beard. This figure represents Bes in a hybridized form, where human and bestial elements are blended together, such as animal ears and a long tail, rendered here by a piece of wire welded onto the back. His headdress is a tall feathered crown, abbreviated on the Harvard example due to its small size. A small hoop for suspension is concealed behind the feathers. The term “Bes,” in fact, encompasses a cohort of divinities who served as protective figures to pregnant women (2). During the late periods, his popularity grew, and his image appeared throughout the Mediterranean world. NOTES: 1. Compare a Bes image on a similarly shaped column in the Walters Art Museum, inv. no. 54.405. 2. A. K. Capel and G. E. Markoe, Mistress of the House, Mistress of Heaven: Women in Ancient Egypt, exh. cat., Cincinnati Art Museum; Brooklyn Museum (New York, 1996) no. 17. Marian Feldman