War God

Date1960

Maker Philip McCracken American, born 1928

Label TextHorus, a falcon, was to ancient Egyptians the god of war and hunting, the bird serving as both protector and predator. This "Horus," carved at the height of America's Cold War with the Soviets, is a potent symbol of the malevolence that accompanies both vigilance and aggression.

Object number63.89

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Wash., 1962 Seattle World's Fair Fine Art Pavilion, Northwest Art Today, Sept.-Oct., 1962. Cat. no. 55, pp. 48-49. Bellingham, Wash., The Whatcom Museum, Green Gold Harvest, 1969. Pp. 56, 62, reproduced. Olympia, Wash., State Capitol Museum, 1976 Governor's Invitational Art Show: Two Centuries of Art in Washington, Feb. 22-Mar. 31, 1976. Tacoma, Wash., Tacoma Art Museum, Philip McCracken Retrospective, Sept. 22-Nov. 7, 1980. Pp. 60-61. LaConner, Wash., Valley Museum of Northwest Art, Richard Gilkey and Philip McCracken, Feb. 5-Apr. 10, 1983. Seattle, Wash., Seattle Art Museum, Weird and Whimsical: Northwest Art from the Permanent Collection, Jan. 4-Oct. 14, 2001. Seattle, Wash., Seattle Art Museum, Modernism in the Pacific Northwest: The Mythic and the Mystical, June 19-Sept. 7, 2014. Text by Patricia Junker. Pl. 54, reproduced p. 92.

Credit LineGift of Seattle Art Museum Guild

Dimensions41 3/4 x 14 5/8 x 12 3/4 in. (106.05 x 37.15 x 32.39 cm)

MediumCedar, leather, brass, steel