Origin: Egypt
Circa: 1600 BC to 600 BC
Dimensions: 2.125" (5.4cm) high x .75" (1.9cm) wide
Collection: Egyptian
Style: New Kingdom
Medium: Faience
Additional Information: Sold
Bes was one of the most popular deities in the Egyptian pantheon. He was a popular subject for amulets, and part of his appeal appears to have been the perception that he was more accessible and willing to listen to the common man than were the intimidating national gods such as Amun, Osiris, or Horus. Bes was believed to be a patron god of music and art. He was also held to be a protector of pregnant women and a god of war. Bes is usually depicted as a dwarf with a face that is both leonine and human. Greco-Roman period images of Bes, however, frequently show him as a more heroic figure brandishing a sword while on horseback. This green faience amulet depicts the god as a naked bow-legged dwarf with his distinctive leonine beard. His tongue projects jauntily from his mouth and his hands rest on his hips. He wears a headdress topped by five stylized plumes. This amulet was probably worn or carried by its owner to invoke the protection of this benevolent deity. - (PF.3005)

Antiquities
Ancient Egyptian