[9666] Bright
Blue Faience Shabtai - Africa, Egypt

Shabti figure; bright blue faience. The shabti wears a plain tripartite wig with a seshed headband tied at the back added in black paint. The arms are crossed right over left on the chest and the hands hold a pair of large hoes added in paint. A basket is painted low on the back of the shabti. The face is fairly well shaped with the eyes and brows indicated in black.

Accession number: 9666

Object type:
Shabti
Object

Collection group:
Egyptology
Humanities

Display location: This object is not currently on display

Materials: Faience; Glaze

Technique: Glazed;

Geospatial site/Chronostratigraphic era:
Africa, Egypt

Acquisition credit: Donated by George Spiedelberg, 1938

Record number (IRN): 108319

Dimensions:
10.6 cm (height)
2.3 cm (thickness)
3.8 cm (width)

Manchester Museum

https://museumcollections.manchester.ac.uk/collections/item/fca93ed5-921f-36ee-a3cd-40ea4bb5172a/?s%3D%26filter%5Bcategory.value.keyword%5D%5B%5D%3DEgyptology&pos=24

Title:
Bright Blue Faience Shabtai - Africa, Egypt, Date and Precise Location not given but asked for, Manchester Museum

An unusual Egyptian janiform amulet made of turquoise faience, depicting the two gods Pataikos and Ra-Horakhty. To one side, Pataikos’ squat form is depicted, with short legs and arms at his waist. He is displayed frontally and nude, his large male member visible between his legs. A large suspension loop rests upon his bald head. To the other side, the god Ra-Horakhty has been depicted as a falcon-headed figure, wearing a sun disk. His tripartite wig covers his head. Similarly displayed as Pataikos, Ra appears frontally and nude, hands resting at his waist. One would assume this is the front portion of the amulet, with the suspension loop at the reverse and hidden by the large sun-disk. The whole amulet rests on a small rectangular platform, with four zoomorphic protrusions, possibly representing crocodiles.

Date: Circa 664–30 BC
Period: Late Period - Ptolemaic Period
Condition: Excellent. A large amulet, finely detailed. Chip to the nose of Ra and the base.

Dimensions: W 2.8 x H 6.1 cm

Weight: 13.6 g

Like most Egyptian amulets, janiform pieces were worn to pass on the apotropaic properties of the gods depicted to their wearers.

The dwarf god Pataikos was believed to have been a protection deity. He was considered the son of the craftsman’s god, Ptah, and his name is presumed to originate from discussions by Herodotus. Pataikos essentially means ‘little Ptah’. Pataikos is associated with violent forces; Egyptian artwork depicts him walking over snakes and crocodiles, or grasping them in his hands, in some instances he has a scarab beetle on the top of his head. His protective and fierce qualities were believed to ward off evils that may result in injuries, illnesses or misfortune. He is also often associated and depicted with the dwarf god Bes, appearing together on amulets.

The Egyptian god Ra was an important deity in the Egyptian pantheon. Primarily he was a sun god, hence the sun-disk iconography represented here. As his importance grew he was associated with all aspects of the created world; the sun, the sky and the Earth. Portrayed as a falcon-headed god, he bore similarities with Horus. As time progressed the two gods were combined, to form Ra-Horakhty. it is has been suggested that this is more of a title, to portray the similarities between the two gods. The phrase translates as “Ra [who is] Horus of the Horizons”.

Egyptian Faience Janiform Amulet of Ra-Horakhty & Pataikos - Ancient Egyptian Antiquities | Ancient & OrientalAncient & Oriental

Relief of Akhenaten as a sphinx

Egyptian
New Kingdom, Dynasty 18, reign of Akhenaten
1349–1336 B.C.

MEDIUM/TECHNIQUE
Limestone

DIMENSIONS
Height x width x depth: 51 x 105.5 x 5.2 cm (20 1/16 x 41 9/16 x 2 1/16 in.)

CREDIT LINE
Egyptian Curator's Fund

ACCESSION NUMBER
64.194

NOT ON VIEW

COLLECTIONS
Ancient Egypt, Nubia and the Near East

CLASSIFICATIONS
Architectural elements – Relief

DESCRIPTION
Although Akhenaten's religious reforms purged Egyptian art of many of its most familiar manifestations, the king remained fond of the sphinx and often had himself depicted as that fantastic creature - part man, part lion. In Old Kingdom times, the Great Sphinx at Giza probably stood for the king presenting offerings to the sun god, while in the Eighteenth Dynasty the mighty monument was reinterpreted as the sun god Horemakhet, or Horus in the Horizon. Its impeccable solar credentials therefore made the sphinx an appropriate image for Akhenaten at el-Amarna, the city he called Akhetaten, "Horizon of the Sun Disk."

This relief was one of a pair flanking a temple doorway. The sphinx on it rests on a plinth, suggesting that it represents a statue. A pair of such reliefs flanking the doorway of a small temple would have evoked the grand avenues of sphinxes that traditionally led up to the entrance pylons of larger Egyptian sanctuaries. Here the sphinx is equipped with human arms and hands to enable him to make offerings to his god, the sun disk, Aten, who appears at the upper left. He wears the uraeus of kingship while behind him (to the left) are two cartouches containing his lengthy official name. The sun's life-giving rays end in so many hands, some holding ankh-signs. Below are three offering stands. To the right, Akhenaten as sphinx raises one hand in adoration while in the other he holds a neb sign, a basket signifying lordship, holding Aten's cartouches. These same cartouches appear a third time in the upper right where they are joined with the cartouches of Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti, who is thus present in name if not in image. The rest of the inscription describes the "great, living Aten" as "dwelling in the Sunshade temple [called] Creator of the Horizon [which is] in Akhetaten." The temple named here, yet to be located, must be the one for which this block was carved.

Akhenaten's religious revolution was accompanied by a change in the way pharaoh was depicted, showing a marked departure from the idealized images favored by his predecessors. Even though the king's face has been sadly hacked away, one can still discern his characteristic slanted eyes, long nose,hollow cheeks, drooping lower lip, and pendulous chin.

PROVENANCE
Probably from el-Amarna. 1964, sold by Ernst E. Kofler (dealer; b. 1899 - d. 1989), Lucerne, to the MFA. (Accession Date: October 14, 1964

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

https://collections.mfa.org/objects/46197/relief-of-akhenaten-as-a-sphinx?ctx=ac9f7b45-02d8-493b-a633-5d4a1b08ac5f&idx=11

Relief of Akhenaten as a sphinx, Egyptian, New Kingdom, Dynasty 18, reign of Akhenaten 1349–1336 B.C., Limestone, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

A very fine Ancient Egyptian beaded mummy mask composed of small faience beads of various colours. They have been restrung in their original arrangement and depict a highly stylised face, with a red triangular nose and bright, trapezoid eyes. The skin takes a green hue while the small mouth features red beads and the contours of the face are rendered in a vibrant turquoise. This mask would have been placed over the face of the deceased at their burial, in a similar manner to the better-known cartonnage mummy masks, mostly for decorative or protective purposes.

Date: Circa 664-332 BC

Period: Late Dynastic Period

Condition: Very Fine Condition

Dimensions: L 15 x W 13.5 cm

Weight: 62.8 g

Beaded mummy masks abounded during the Late Period, covering both decorative and symbolic purposes in burial practices. Their unnaturalistic style and the similarities between beaded mummy masks in general make it unlikely that they were modelled after the face of the deceased individual. They seem to have been more likely generic images of a dead human face as the absence of expression and the blue-greenish skin complexion potentially indicate this. However, such masks have also been interpreted as visual representations of the god Osiris – himself also a dead being – frequently depicted in the tombs with an identical skin-colour. Their main function would have been the protection of the dead, and in our example, as the figure represented is wearing the beard of Osiris, it also could have shown his or her hope for reincarnation.

Ancient Egyptian Faience Mummy Mask - Ancient Egyptian Antiquities | Ancient & OrientalAncient & Oriental

Faience Heart Amulet

[2837] Amulet - Africa, Egypt, Upper Egypt, Dendera

Ptolemaic Egypt
Faience heart amulet.

Accession number: 2837

Object type:
Amulet
Object

Date made: Ptolemaic Egypt

Collection group:
Egyptology
Humanities

Display location: This object is not currently on display

Materials: Faience; Glaze

Technique: Glazed;

Geospatial site/Chronostratigraphic era:
Africa, Egypt, Upper Egypt, Dendera

Acquisition credit: Donation by Egypt Exploration Fund, 1897-1898

Record number (IRN): 104982

Dimensions:
4 cm (height)
2.6 cm (width)

Manchester Museum

https://museumcollections.manchester.ac.uk/collections/item/972ecfba-7140-3bb0-ad24-fd68ff7f0dfe/

Title:
Faience, Heart, Amulet, Egypt, Upper Egypt, Dendera, Ptolemaic period, Manchester Museum

Statuette of a Man
PLACE CREATED Egypt, Africa
CULTURE Egyptian
PERIOD Old Kingdom, Dynasty 6
DATE 2305-2152 BCE
MEDIUM Wood, ground, paint
CREDIT LINE Egyptian Purchase Fund
DIMENSIONS 23 1/4 x 5 1/2 x 4 1/2 in. (59.1 x 14 x 11.4 cm)
OBJECT NUMBER 2002.041.001

Label Text
During the late Old Kingdom, a freer manneristic style developed along with the increasing popularity of wooden statuary. The example here, with its long, expressive face, typifies the best of this new artistic trend. One arm is preserved resting against his side while the other, now lost, would have been bent at the elbow, holding a walking stick, a symbol of his status. The white kilt has traces of paint representing beaded tassels hanging from his belt.

Exhibition History
MCCM Permanent Collection Reinstallation, 2006 - August 15, 2011
Life and Death in the Pyramid Age: The Emory Old Kingdom Mummy, Michael C. Carlos Museum, September 10 - December 11, 2011
MCCM Permanent Collection Reinstallation, February 2012 - Present

Published References
Christie's New York, Antiquities (June 12, 2002), 150-151, number 260.
MCCM Newsletter, March - May 2003.
Peter Lacovara, "Life and Death in the Pyramid Age," Minerva 22 (September/October 2011): 12-13.

PROVENANCE
Purchased by MCCM from Christies New York, June 12, 2002, lot 260.

STATUS
On view

COLLECTIONS
Ancient Egyptian, Nubian, and Near Eastern Art

The Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University

https://collections.carlos.emory.edu/objects/10151/statuette-of-a-man

Title:
Statuette of a Man, Old Kingdom Dynasty 6 2305-2152 BCE, Wood ground and paint, Egypt, The Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University

For the Egyptians, serpents were associated with protection, regeneration, and divine authority. In a Greco-Roman context, snakes likewise gave energy and healing vibes.

Armlets were worn high on the upper arm. The larger snake head would have been worn facing in, towards the body, indicating that this armlet was meant to be worn around the left arm. Beyond adornment, these armlets likely served an apotropaic role, invoking the protective qualities of the serpent.

The armlet went to auction by Sotheby's in June this year. The estimate was 20,000 - 30,000 USD. The reason it went for 230,400 USD? Because we can imagine Cleopatra wearing it.

Nile Magazine

Ptah–Sokar–Osiris figure

Place of production
Thebes (?), Egypt
Date
8th–7th centuries B.C. (722–655)
Object type
tomb equipment
Medium, technique
Wood, paint
Dimensions
34.6 x 9.8 x 7.5 cm
Inventory number
51.2090
Collection
Egyptian Art
On view
Museum of Fine Arts, Basement Floor, Ancient Egypt, Funerary beliefs

The small statuette represents a typical and chronologically well-distinguished example of the painted wooden Ptah‒Sokar‒Osiris statue type used in a funerary context. The antecedents of this type of statue appeared during the Twentieth Dynasty (12th–11th centuries B.C.) among burial equipment and remained in use as late as the end of the Ptolemaic Period. The image representing the funerary god was placed close by the coffin and the mummy lying inside it. During the centuries, the elaboration of the design, the iconography and colour scheme changed considerably. Many pieces of this type had a hollow cut into their back or pedestal in order to hide a small funerary papyrus or so-called corn mummy symbolizing the rebirth of Osiris. The text on the figures sometimes comprised a longer hymnic composition, or a shortened offering formula that contained the name and titles of the deceased as well as certain members of their family.
This stubby figure is represented with small face and a long false beard; the pigment layer has worn or flaked off in many places. There is a vertical fissure along the green-painted face. On top of the head is a hole for attaching the – now missing – headdress, with the broken-off pin. Below the light-coloured collar, the mummified body painted in dark red is covered by a dark blue bead-net pattern. The short inscriptions on both the front and back sides have preserved the name of the owner: Kha-aa, son of Khonsumes. Based on iconographic features, the piece can undoubtedly be dated to the Twenty-fifth Dynasty (722–655 B.C.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest

https://www.mfab.hu/artworks/1827/

Title:
Ptah–Sokar–Osiris figure, 8th–7th centuries B.C. (722–655) , Wood and paint, Thebes (?), Egypt
The Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest

New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty, c. 1345 B.C.

Probably from Hermopolis (Ashmunein; Khemenu); Originally from Amarna

Met Museum. 1981.44

An Egyptian blue faience bilaterial plaque, richly decorated with hieroglyphs. One side features the standing figure of a pregnant hippopotamus, the goddess Taweret. Her form fills one side of the plaque, the dominating hieroglyph. To her right are two other signs. The first is a large feather of Ma’at. Underneath is a flaring hieroglyph, described as a papyrus mat, and transliterated as ‘sȝ’ or ‘sa’. It is a logogram that means ‘protection’ and is often depicted alongside Taweret. The flat, reverse of the plaque is a little less clear. The large sign to the top, though slightly damaged, is most likely the vulture hieroglyph, representing the goddess Mut. Beneath is a large ‘neb’ basket symbol and the sky hieroglyph. The combined symbols refer to Mut’s epithet; Lady of the Sky. Mut is the Egyptian word for mother also, as she was considered the mother of all gods. Combined with the representation of Taweret, we can ascertain that this particular amulet was intended for the protection of a mother, possibly during childbirth. The amulet is pierced horizontally for suspension.

Date: Circa 664-332 BC
Period: Late Period
Provenance: Ex private UK collection, Mr. DP, formerly acquired from a London ADA dealership, from 2004-2012.
Condition: Very good condition. A chip to the top otherwise the piece is well preserved.

Dimensions: L 1.8 x W 0.9 x H 0.4 cm

Weight: 0.7 g

Thoeris, also known as Taweret, Ipy and Reret, was an Egyptian deity who attended women in childbirth, and became a patron for pregnant women accordingly. She was a household deity with no temple dedicated to her, but some form of shrine was in almost every house. Many women carried an amulet like this to assist them with labour and child rearing. From the New Kingdom onwards she was often depicted together with Bes, another apotropaic deity associated with women and children. Later, in the Amarna period, she gained importance as a funerary deity. This was because her powers were considered to be regenerative as well as protective. The longstanding importance of Thoeris/Taweret in daily life is evident from her continued presence on amulets throughout the Amarna period, and even after the establishment of Akhenaten’s henotheistic religion.

The vulture was a sacred bird, emblematic of two goddesses; Mut and Nekhbet. The former is often depicted wearing the feathers of a vulture as a headdress or as wings at her back. She was a principle deity, wife of the solar-god Amun and thus labelled as the mother of all gods.

Ancient Egyptian Blue Faience Bilateral Plaque with Taweret and Hieroglyphs - Ancient Egyptian Antiquities | Ancient & OrientalAncient & Oriental

Amulet of a Lizard

Date
second half of IInd millennium B.C.
Object type
amulet
Medium, technique
Egyptian faience
Dimensions
1.2 x 0.9 x 2.9 cm
Inventory number
51.2605
Collection
Egyptian Art
On view
Museum of Fine Arts, Basement Floor, Ancient Egypt, Temples and gods

The Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest

https://www.mfab.hu/artworks/1689/

Title:
Amulet of a Lizard, The second half of second century, Egyptian faience, Egypt, The Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest

A steatite Egyptian Hyksos-period scaraboid, moulded on the obverse with the depiction of a pharaoh, wearing the Khepresh crown. Particular attention has been paid to the anatomical features of the face, with almond-shaped eyes, elongated eyebrows and a full mouth. Upon his brow he is depicted wearing the Khepresh crown, distinguishable from the incised cross hatched pattern and indentations to the side of the crown. The reverse is also decorated with a detailed scene portraying a hunt. A standing figure holding a long, curved bow, aims his protruding arrow into a collection of wild animals. A central feline-esque animal is depicted after the standing figure. Some scarabs with similar scenes also feature another figure to the adjacent side, however it is unclear whether this scarab depicts another man or an animal. The scaraboid is pierced longitudinally for suspension.

Date: Circa 1550-900 BC

Period: New Kingdom - Third Intermediate Period

Provenance: Ex major S.M., London, Collection 1970-2010.

Condition: Very fine, clearly defined hieroglyphs and facial features. Chip to the reverse at the base. Repairs to the face.

Dimensions: L 1.6 x W 1.1 cm

Weight: 2.19 g

The portrayal of the pharaoh wearing the blue ‘khepresh’ crown was one that gained popularity during the New Kingdom. It had powerful connotations to rebirth and solar imagery. The term ‘khepresh’ also phonetically alluded to the solar deity, Khepri, who was often represented as a scarab-faced man. It was also believed that the ruler wearing the Khepresh crown was the god’s representative on Earth, a living king and the representative of Amun-Re.

Hunting and battle scenes were common on scarabs from the end of the Ramesside Period to the early Third Intermediate Period, from the end of the 10thcentury BC. From their popularity and distribution across North Egypt and the Levant, they were most likely mass-produced. This example is unique in the added janiform depiction.

Egyptian Hyksos Scaraboid of a Pharaoh Wearing the Khepresh Crown - Ancient Egyptian Antiquities | Ancient & OrientalAncient & Oriental

An Egyptian amulet depicting a wedjat eye, or Eye of Horus, carved from black hardstone. The surface on both sides of the amulet are smooth and unadorned, but the silhouette bears the characteristic traits of the wedjat eye. The brow is portrayed here through the ridged protrusion atop the amulet and the horizontal edge beneath it. The sloping protrusion directly beneath represents the almond-shaped eye, the inner side of which would meet the curved edge that leads to the back of the amulet. The vertical protrusion is the cheek marking. The amulet is pierced horizontally for suspension.

Date: Circa 664 - 30 BC

Period: Late Period - Ptolemaic Period

Provenance: Ex. Early 20th Century collection, UK

Condition: Excellent condition.

Dimensions: L 2.5 x W 0.4 x H 1.8 cm

Weight: 2.6 g

The wedjat, as the Eye of Horus, is one of the most popular amulets of ancient Egypt. The amulet combines elements of both human and falcon ocular imagery, as Horus was often depicted as a falcon. Its name comes from the ancient Egyptian ‘wḏꜣt’, meaning “the one that is complete”. The wedjat was highly apotropaic and associated with a number of Egyptian myths. The eye depicted could be either left or right, representing different imagery. Horus’ left eye was the sun and the right eye was considered the moon. In one creation myth, Horus’ eye was injured or stolen by the god Seth and then restored by Thoth. Hence the wedjat eye was thought to possess healing powers and symbolise regeneration. This healing and regenerative association is further enhanced by the properties of the lunar eye of Horus. As it waxes and wanes like the moon, it is thought to bring health and safety to its wearer. In another myth, Horus presents his healed eye to his father Osiris, to help him pass safely into his afterlife. Hence wedjat eye amulets were commonly placed within mummy wrappings to help the dead to help them pass safely into the afterlife.

Egyptian Black Hardstone Wedjat Amulet - Ancient Egyptian Antiquities | Ancient & OrientalAncient & Oriental

An Egyptian amulet carved from alabaster, featuring natural striations of white, cream and brown. The amulet tapers from a wide, flat base to a pointed tip with wings protruding on either side near the top. The obverse of the amulet is flat and features a vertical, linear incision running through the centre, deeper towards the edges. Three linear incisions run horizontally across the neck. Diagonal incisions line the connection of the wings to the body. The reverse of the amulet is smooth and slightly convex. The shape and markings imply this amulet could be a pesesh-kef amulet, a ritual instrument used in the ‘Opening of the Mouth Ceremony’ which granted the deceased the ability of physical faculties in the afterlife.

Date: Circa 664-332 BC
Period: Late Period
Provenance: Ex. Early 20th Century collection, UK
Condition: Very good condition.

Dimensions: L 3.1 x W 1.9 cm

Weight: 3.4 g

The ‘Opening of the Mouth Ceremony’ was an important ritual, occurring at the very end of the mummification process. A number of amuletic tools were used by priests to symbolically open the deceased’s mouth, eyes and ears – the seats of the senses. The pesesh-kef, romanised from “psš-kf” and also referred to as the “fishtail knife”, opened the mouth specifically and connected it with the communication of the gods. The Book of the Dead includes three spells (21-23) concerning the ritual.

The Egyptians wore amulets alongside other pieces of jewellery. They were decorative, but also served a practical purpose, being considered to bestow power and protection upon the wearer. Many of the amulets have been found inside the wrappings of mummies, as they were used to prepare the deceased for the afterlife.

Egyptian Alabaster Pesesh-kef Amulet - Ancient Egyptian Antiquities | Ancient & OrientalAncient & Oriental

Bes Head Amulet

Place of production
Egypt
Date
4th-1st century B.C.
Object type
amulet
Medium, technique
Egyptian faience
Dimensions
7.1 x 4.9 cm
Inventory number
51.2542
Collection
Egyptian Art
On view
This artwork is on view at the permanent exhibition

The pale green amulet depicts the face of the ancient Egyptian god, Bes. The head of the dwarf deity is wearing a plumed headdress consisting of five feathers. His animal ears are protruded, and the forehead wrinkles are strongly creased. He is protruding his tongue and his long beard is spreading` like a collar. The god’s bulging eyes, thick, frowning eyebrows, protruding tongue and enlarged nostrils are all the means of warding off evil. In the late periods of ancient Egyptian history, the amulets with Bes head or Bes mask were particularly popular. Bes was one of the most important apotropaic gods in ancient Egypt; he protected the households and the families, particularly women and children. The amulet is pierced horizontally through the headdress.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest

https://www.mfab.hu/artworks/1793/

Title:
Bes Head Amulet, 4th-1st century B.C., Egyptian faience, Egypt The Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest

These particular golden sandals have engraved decoration that replicates woven reeds. Created specifically for the afterlife, they still covered the feet of Tutankhamun when Howard Carter unwrapped the mummy.

The last stage of the embalming was the bandaging. Each finger and toe was individually wrapped, then each limb, and finally the whole body. Too many ointments poured on Tutankhamun’s mummy caused severe damage to the tissues, except for those protected by gold: the face, fingers, and toes.

Now in the Grand Egyptian Museum. JE 60678,79

Funerary Stela
Place of production
Thebes, Egypt
Date
First half of the 3rd century B.C.
Object type
stela
Medium, technique
Wood, paint
Dimensions
49.5 x 31.5 x 2.8 cm
Inventory number
51.1928
Collection
Egyptian Art
On view
Museum of Fine Arts, Basement Floor, Ancient Egypt, Temples and gods

The painted wooden stela was purchased by Ferenc Kiss sometime between 1828 and 1843. The decoration is placed in three registers divided by horizontal lines. The lunette was occupied by the picture of a winged sun disc adorned with uraeus-snakes. Below one can observe the figure of a scarab, the regenerated morning form of the sun god, flanked by two recumbent Anubis-jackals. The central figure of the second register is Osiris sitting on his throne together with his son Horus and his wife Isis standing behind him. The deceased is introduced to the presence of the ruler of the netherworld by Anubis. The lower register contains a hieroglyphic text inscribed in ten horizontal lines, in which a decree – issued by Osiris – can be read.

Based on close parallels, the funerary stela can be dated to the early Ptolemaic Period, i.e., the fourth–third century BC and its owner was a songstress of Amun-Re in the temple of Karnak.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest

https://www.mfab.hu/artworks/1819/

Title:
Funerary Stela, Thebes, Egypt, First half of the 3rd century B.C.,Wood and paint, Thebes, Egypt, The Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest

It is crafted from blue faience, a glazed ceramic material commonly used for such amulets.

The artifact is composed of three separate pieces—a scarab beetle body and two wings—designed to be wired together and placed within mummy bandages to symbolize rebirth.

It is currently part of the collection at the Museo Egizio

Heart Amulet
1550 BC - 332 BC
M11957e
Currently not on display

World Museum

Information
Bright blue faience amulet mould-made in the shape of the heart-shaped hieroglyph, taking the form of a jar with lug handles, perhaps representing veins and arteries. There is a pierced suspension loop at the top. Heart-shaped amulets were believed to protect the wearer's heart from both physical and spiritual harm, both in life and after death. Spell 29b in the Book of the Dead states that such amulets should ideally be carved from the red-coloured stone carnelian. In the ancient Egyptian language, the word heart (ib) appears in the expression for a close friend, “one who has entered the heart” (ak-ib).

Specifications

Accession number
M11957e

Collection type
Religion

Culture
New Kingdom; Third Intermediate Period; Late Period

Place made
Africa: Northern Africa: Egypt

Date made
1550 BC - 332 BC

Collector
Joseph Mayer

Place collected
Africa: Northern Africa: Egypt

Date collected
1852 about

Materials
Egyptian Faience

Measurements
Overall: 23 mm x 12 mm x 8 mm

Credit line
Gift of Joseph Mayer

Legal status
Permanent collection

Provenance
Joseph Mayer, Donor, Purchased, Donation, Owned until: 1867

Location
Item not currently on display

Publications
Catalogue of the Mayer Collection Part 1. The Egyptian, Babylonian and Assyrian Antiquities. Second and Revised Edition, Charles Gatty, 1879, Page: 18 [88]

World Museums Liverpool

https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/artifact/heart-amulet-6

Title:
Heart Amulet, 1550 BC - 332 BC, New Kingdom; Third Intermediate Period; Late Period, Egyptian Faience, Egypt, World Museums Liverpool

An exceptional, large Egyptian carnelian amulet, finely carved in the shape of a heart. Taking the form of a jar, the amulet features a rounded triangular body, slightly convex in profile. Two pointed lug handles protrude from either side. To the top is a rectangular lid surmounted by a tubular knob, pierced horizontally for suspension; however it is now blocked

Date: Circa 1550-1070 BC
Period: New Kingdom Period
Provenance: From an early 20th Century UK collection.
Condition: Very fine condition.

To the ancient Egyptians, the heart (ib) was the most important of organs. They believed it to be the organ responsible for all human thought, feeling and interaction. Thus, it was the heart that was weighed and measured against the feather of Maat in the ‘Weighing of the heart ceremony’, which determined the worthiness of the individual and if they could proceed to the Egyptian paradise. It was also the only organ to be left within the deceased when they died. The importance of the heart can be seen from the number of passages within the Book of the Dead. Chapter 29b specifically mentions the use of a heart shaped amulet, of sehert-stone (carnelian). Whilst carnelian heart amulets were the most popular, other materials were also used. Other red stones such as jasper and granite, as well as green feldspar and blue lapis lazuli. Green was a colour associated with new vegetation and new life, whilst blue was association with the reviving waters of the Nile. Hardstones were also preferable as they had connotations of lasting for eternity.

Ancient Egyptian Carnelian Heart Amulet - Ancient Egyptian Antiquities | Ancient & OrientalAncient & Oriental

Wooden Coffin of Kayt

Place of production
Meir, Egypt
Date
1985–1940 B.C.
Object type
tomb equipment
Medium, technique
Wood (sycomore), painted
Dimensions
48 x 187 x 46 cm (18 7/8 x 73 5/8 x 18 1/8 in.)
Inventory number
92.1-E
Collection
Egyptian Art
On view
Museum of Fine Arts, Basement Floor, Ancient Egypt, Funerary beliefs

The coffin was one of the most important burial goods, the purpose of which was to preserve and protect the body of the deceased. This rectangular, box-shaped wooden coffin – dated to the early Middle Kingdom – was produced for a lady called Kayt. Its interior remained completely blank, while the exterior side is decorated with a single band of hieroglyphic inscription running around the top of the box. On the left (east) side, at the head end and just below the horizontal ornamental text, two wedjat-eyes were painted which enabled the deceased – who lied on its left side in the coffin – to view the offerings as well as to see the rising sun in the eastern horizon. The coffin of Kayt was found in an intact tomb in the cemetery of Meir together with her husband, Ukhhotep in addition to grave goods of various kinds.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest

https://www.mfab.hu/artworks/13346/

Wooden Coffin of Kayt, 1985–1940 B.C., Wood (sycomore), painted, Meir, Egypt, The Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest

A fine Ancient Egyptian rectangular steatite plaque amulet consisting of a flat base and domed obverse, distinguished by an encircling groove. The domed obverse features a symmetrical hieroglyphic engraving, neatly balanced and carefully structured within the rectangular form of the plaque. Two parallel linear incisions comprise the central column, meeting at a curved end that is encased in a circle. Together with the two triangles hanging from a top horizontal line, it may possibly represent a stylised scale symbolising balance (𓍝). Two lines curve from midway down the central column, ending in a short, horizontal line. Three more short horizontal incisions are stacked directly beneath. Two flags, (𓊹), translating as ‘god’, flank the bottom register, and also feature between the curve and the central column.

The reverse features inscribed hieroglyphs: the top register features the senet board symbol (𓏠), the basket glyph (𓎟) directly beneath and a sun disc (𓇳) on the right. The central register features a recumbent human-headed sphinx with a short tail and a long beard. The bottom register depicts a scarab (𓆣) flanked by two uraei (𓆗). The amulet features a longitudinal perforation for suspension which is now blocked.

Date: Circa 664-332 BC

Period: Late Period

Provenance: Early 20th Century UK Collection.

Condition: Very good. Some chips and earthy encrustations.

Dimensions: L 2.9 x W 2 x H 0.5 cm

Weight: 6.27 g

For the Egyptians, the sphinx was a powerful presence in the culture. Worshipped as a god, the sphinx was understood as the embodiment of the pharaoh, as well as a protector against evil and keeper of arcane knowledge. They were frequently depicted in ancient art with human heads, typically of pharaohs and occasionally of international leaders.

The Egyptians wore amulets alongside other pieces of jewellery. They were decorative, but also served a practical purpose, being considered to bestow power and protection upon the wearer, both living and deceased. Many of the amulets have been found inside the wrappings of mummies, as they were used to prepare the deceased for the afterlife.

Egyptian Steatite Janiform Plaque Amulet with Hieroglyphs - Ancient Egyptian Antiquities | Ancient & OrientalAncient & Oriental