This sculpture exemplifies the Greek influence on Egyptian civilization in the wake of the reign of Alexander the Great. The seated child represents the Egyptian god Horus, son of Osiris and Isis, and to the Greeks Harpokrates. In Egyptian mythology, after the murder of Osiris by his brother Seth, Isis gave birth to a son, Horus, who after many ordeals triumphed over his wicked uncle. In this realistic bronze statue with the body of an older boy and a wise mature face, the child god sits with arms outstretched, as if asking to be picked up. The sidelock of hair, moreover, is a symbol of youth in Egyptian art. This sculpture merges Egyptian artistic conventions with the traditional depiction of the Greco-Egyptian deity Harpokrates, also identified with the Greek god Eros. The Greek inscription on the right thigh reveals that it was dedicated to a god, perhaps Harpokrates.