War God

1960

American, born 1928

Horus, 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.

Cedar, leather, brass, steel

41 3/4 x 14 5/8 x 12 3/4 in. (106.05 x 37.15 x 32.39 cm)

Gift of Seattle Art Museum Guild

63.89

Not currently on view

Resources

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.

Seattle Art Museum respectfully acknowledges that we are on Indigenous land, the traditional territories of the Coast Salish people. We honor our ongoing connection to these communities past, present, and future.

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