Gods we could hold in our hands
For the ancient Egyptians, metals had a range of implicit associations: the use of gold was equated with red but also with parts of the body. Gold and silver were flesh and bone, sun and moon; certain deities, like Hathor, were associated with night and therefore cast in silver. Coloration could also be achieved with inlays of glass or semiprecious stones like lapis and turquoise.
“Gifts for the Gods: Images From Egyptian Temples” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art focuses on ancient Egyptian metal sculpture, featuring some 70 god images superbly cast in copper, bronze, gold, and silver. It includes loans from the Louvre, the British Museum and the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. These are not the monumental stone sculptures everyone is familiar with, but more intimate, small and exquisitely crafted images for ritual use.
http://www.metmuseum.org/special/se_event.asp?OccurrenceId={0485AAC4-D004-447C-834B-54E42638B47D}
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/03/arts/design/03temp.html?_r=1&ref=arts&oref=slogin
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