Statue of a dog

The solid, muscular body, powerful jaw and claws are those of a mastiff or molosser. It is sitting, standing guard, in the erect frontal posture of a trained dog. This distinguishes it from dogs with long, narrow muzzles and large, upright ears, which were typical of Egyptian imagery. Dogs such as the one depicted here were particularly prized in antiquity, from the Persian Empire to the Meroitic Kingdom (modern-day Sudan) both for hunting and warfare. This statue may have come from a chapel built in the city of Memphis and dedicated to the Indo-Iranian god Mithra, who was revered during the Achaemenid Persian Empire. Egypt twice came under Persian rule: the first time in 526-398 (27th Dynasty), the second in 342-333 BC.