Egypt, Late Period, 26th Dynasty, (664-525 BCE) Bronze, 15 x 11 1/4 x 5/8 in. (38.1 x 28.57 x 1.58 cm) Art Museum Council Fund, LACMA #M.91.73

"This ibis image was probably attached to a staff in order to create a standard (a type of banner) that would have been carried by priests or government officials in religious processions or parades. Very few examples of processional standards survive, although their importance in public processions is demonstrated in illustrations on Egyptian monuments and sculpture. This standard dates to the Late Period (712 - 332 BC). Although the standard seems flat, it was designed as a three-dimensional object. The skill of the artist who created this bronze is evident in the elegance of the outline and contour and the attention to detail. Late Period bronze production reached its peak during the Twenty-sixth Dynasty (664 - 525 BC), a likely date for this object." (From the Curator notes) My photo fails to show the details, but a crop of the museum photo shows the fine details in the ibis' head: © "www.lacma.org"