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© Museum Associates 2026
Collections

Two Priests Holding a Shrine2nd–4th century CE

On view:
Geffen Galleries, floor 1
Small terracotta sculpture with two robed figures in low relief flanking a central column, topped with a dentiled cornice, on a rectangular plinth
Terracotta votive plaque with two draped figures in low relief flanking a central architectural element, topped by a decorated frieze; worn sandy surface with traces of green patina at the base.

Unknown, Two Priests Holding a Shrine, 2nd - 4th century CE, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Gift of Robert Blaugrund, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA

Title
Two Priests Holding a Shrine
Place Made
Egypt
Date Made
2nd–4th century CE
Medium
Terracotta
Dimensions
6 × 2 × 1 1/2 in. (15.24 × 5.08 × 3.81 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Robert Blaugrund
Accession Number
M.82.77.8
Classification
Sculpture
Collecting Area
Egyptian Art
Curatorial Notes

Two bald priests, sometimes referred to as “pastophori,” are shown attending to temple activities, revealing a deity and carrying a shrine as part of a religious procession. While the mold for this terracotta may have become slightly worn from use, comparison with similar examples indicates that the shrine likely held an image of the god Harpocrates, shown as a naked youth. The shrine consists of two pillars supporting a cornice with nine uraei. The barefoot priests wear long garments draped around their waists and stand beside an oval vessel. The terracotta was originally painted, with remnants of blue pigment visible on the base.

Provenance: With The Antiquities Gallery, Los Angeles, 1980. Robert Blaugrund (?-1981 Los Angeles), gifted 1982 to; LACMA.