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Source Description
Made from a silver-copper alloy, this rearing cobra likely served as a uraeus, symbolizing royal or divine power in ancient Egypt. Its lowermost portion likely fit into the top of the head of a large sculpture, while its body and tail seem cut short, perhaps making room for a solar disk to rise up behind. The eyes are inlaid, and six cavities for additional inlay remain on the expanded hood, the lowermost still intact, the others likely once filled with brightly colored blue and red stone. Much of the remaining surface may once have been gilded, to judge from remaining traces of gold on the back.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
540823
label
Uraeus (Rearing Cobra)
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
540823
contentType
object
title
Uraeus (Rearing Cobra)
description
Made from a silver-copper alloy, this rearing cobra likely served as a uraeus, symbolizing royal or divine power in ancient Egypt. Its lowermost portion likely fit into the top of the head of a large sculpture, while its body and tail seem cut short, perhaps making room for a solar disk to rise up behind. The eyes are inlaid, and six cavities for additional inlay remain on the expanded hood, the lowermost still intact, the others likely once filled with brightly colored blue and red stone. Much of the remaining surface may once have been gilded, to judge from remaining traces of gold on the back.
date
1307–1196 BCE
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q122922177
genreSpecific
Metalwork
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
height: 14.9 cm (5 7/8 in.)
cul
Egypt, New Kingdom (1540–1069 BCE), Dynasty 19
accession
2023.102
Source extras
tec
Silver-copper alloy with inlays (copper, feldspar, turquoise, obsidian?) and gilding
tombstone
Uraeus (Rearing Cobra), 1307–1196 BCE. Egypt, New Kingdom (1540–1069 BCE), Dynasty 19. Silver-copper alloy with inlays (copper, feldspar, turquoise, obsidian?) and gilding; height: 14.9 cm (5 7/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Barbara S. Robinson and Family, 2023.102
collection
Egypt - New Kingdom
didYouKnow
The word <em>uraeus </em>comes from an Egyptian term for “rising/rearing up,” describing the cobra’s position.
citations
citation
Kozloff, Arielle P. <em>Animals in Ancient Art from the Leo Mildenberg Collection</em>. 1981.
page_number
no. 15, p. 62
citation
Page-Gasser, Madeleine, and André Wiese.<em> Égypte: moments d'éternité : art égyptien dans les collections privées, Suisse</em>. 1997.
page_number
no. 136, p. 211
citation
Page-Gasser, Madeleine, and André Wiese. <em>Ägypten: Augenblicke der Ewigkeit : unbekannte Schätze aus schweizer Privatbesitz</em>. Mainz: P. von Zabern, 1997.
citation
Mottahedeh, Patricia Erhart, and Gisela Zahlhaas. <em>Out of Noah's ark: animals in ancient art from the Leo Mildenberg collection.</em> Mainz: P. von Zabern, 1997.
page_number
cat. 15
citation
Christie, Manson & Woods. <em>A Peaceable Kingdom: The Leo Mildenberg Collection of Ancient Animals.</em> London: Christie's, 2004.
page_number
no. 123
creditline
Gift of Barbara S. Robinson and Family
updatedAt
2026-05-29 09:11:04.277000
sourceId
540823
dept
Egyptian and Ancient Near Eastern Art
coll
Egypt - New Kingdom
med
Silver-copper alloy with inlays (copper, feldspar, turquoise, obsidian?) and gilding
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
27c47789d389d6c7