Origin: Egypt Circa: 1600 BC to 600 BC Dimensions: 1.625" (4.1cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: New Kingdom Medium: Steatite The ram was considered sacred to several  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1600 BC to 600 BC Dimensions: 1.625" (4.1cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: New Kingdom Medium: Steatite The ram was considered sacred to several different deities in the Egyptian pantheon. The Theban god Amun was sometimes depicted with a ram's head, and his temple at Karnak is decorated with ram-headed sphinxes. Khnum, the creator god whose cult was centered at elephantine was almost invariably depicted as a man with a ram's head and is frequently shown fashioning mankind from clay on a potter's wheel. Hershef was another ram-headed divinity. The local deity of Heracleopolis magna (near Fayum) who later became a national deity and was identified with both Amun and Horus. This lovely amulet depicts the sacred ram wearing a long wig with two locks hanging down either shoulder and what appears to be a false beard. The legs of the ram are carved in relief, which is a technique evocative of monumental Egyptian sculpture. This amulet was probably worn or carried to invoke the protection of one of the powerful ram-headed deities in the Egyptian pantheon. - (PF.2993)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1600 BC to 600 BC Dimensions: 1.375" (3.5cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: New Kingdom Medium: Faience The ancient Egyptians conceived of their  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1600 BC to 600 BC Dimensions: 1.375" (3.5cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: New Kingdom Medium: Faience The ancient Egyptians conceived of their country as two separate lands, north and south, which became a unified whole at the beginning of the dynastic period. This popular conception is probably based on the actual Predynastic division of the land into separate kingdoms. The pharaoh was believed to have special religious and political significance as the unifying force, which held the state together. This aspect of his role is frequently represented by the titular identification of the pharaoh as "ruler of the two lands". The pharaoh is sometimes depicted being ritually anointed by Nekhbet and Buto the goddesses of upper and Lower Egypt, respectively. Equally important in emphasizing the pharaoh’s role in unification were the crowns that he wore. The tall, conical, white crown was symbolic of Upper Egypt and the flat red crown symbolized Lower Egypt. The king was shown with either or wearing the double crown, which is the red crown surmounted by the white crown. This elegant faience amulet represents the white crown of upper (southern) Egypt, which was protected by the vulture goddess Nekhbet and the god Set. According to tradition, it was the king of Upper Egypt who emerged victorious from the legendary battle between north and south. Perhaps this amulet commemorates that ancient victory and is reflective of the pre- eminence of Thebes. - (PF.2994)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1600 BC to 600 BC Dimensions: 2.75" (7.0cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: New Kingdom Medium: Lapis Lazuli A cartouche is a stylized  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1600 BC to 600 BC Dimensions: 2.75" (7.0cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: New Kingdom Medium: Lapis Lazuli A cartouche is a stylized representation of a loop of rope, which terminates in a knot. It is used to contain the name of the pharaoh and is a symbolic representation of "all that the sun encompasses" (the universe). This, in effect, represents the Pharaoh’s role as ruler of the earthly and heavenly realms. This delicate lapis cartouche is unique and somewhat enigmatic. The amulet was created without an inscription. Perhaps it was left blank to be inscribed later with the name of a deified deceased pharaoh or that of the contemporary ruler. - (PF.2999)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1600 BC to 600 BC Collection: Egyptian Style: New Kingdom Medium: Stone This unique amulet depicts an Egyptian falcon on the obverse (possibly  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1600 BC to 600 BC Collection: Egyptian Style: New Kingdom Medium: Stone This unique amulet depicts an Egyptian falcon on the obverse (possibly representing the god Horus) flanked by two ankh symbols. Carved on the reverse is what appears to be a purely decorative design. There is a circle in the center surrounded by four petal shaped projections and rows of triangles in varying sizes, which point away from the center. The most striking feature of this amulet is the naive, decidedly non-Egyptian, hand with which the falcon and the ankhs on the obverse were carved. It is fascinating and unique because it shows the translation and transformation of Egyptian religious iconography into a distinctively Hyksos artistic style. It also reveals the strong influence which Egyptian culture exerted upon those which came into contact with them in times of peace as well as upon those who dominated them. - (PF.3000)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1600 BC to 600 BC Dimensions: 1.625" (4.1cm) high x .5" (1.3cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Style: New Kingdom Medium: Faience In Ancient Egypt,  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1600 BC to 600 BC Dimensions: 1.625" (4.1cm) high x .5" (1.3cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Style: New Kingdom Medium: Faience In Ancient Egypt, dwarves were considered to be special people sacred to the gods, Bes, Ptah and some of Ptah's syncretistic forms, such as Ptah-Sokar. The god Bes, in fact is almost exclusively depicted as a bow-legged dwarf with leonine facial features. Ptah, the creator god of Memphis, although more commonly depicted as a mummiform man wearing a skullcap, is sometimes depicted as a dwarf. His syncretistic form, Ptah-Sokar, is frequently depicted as a dwarf with either a human or falcon's head. Dwarves were also known to have held positions of honor in the court of the pharaoh. In fact, one of the most famous sculptural groups from the old kingdom depicts the dwarf Seneb, who was an official of the court, and his wife and children. This charming faience sculpture depicts a naked dwarf wearing a skullcap (which indicates that this may be a depiction of the god Ptah). The head of this figure is disproportionately large and exaggerated in a way that reminds the viewer of the exaggerated proportions of Amarna period painting and sculpture. The slightly protruding and rounded abdomen of this figure is a commonly employed artistic convention in the representation of dwarves. The sculpture was probably intended to invoke the protection of the god Ptah as well as charm the viewer with its unique appeal. - (PF.3004)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1600 BC to 1100 BC Collection: Egyptian Style: New Kingdom Medium: Faience This delightful amulet depicts a figure of the recumbent lion. In ancient  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1600 BC to 1100 BC Collection: Egyptian Style: New Kingdom Medium: Faience This delightful amulet depicts a figure of the recumbent lion. In ancient Egypt, the lion was symbolic of strength and was often associated with the king. A typical example of this can be seen when observing the sphinx, shown with a lion body and the head of a king. This symbolized the king and the sun god re at the same time. In the eighteenth dynasty (ca. 1550-1070 B.C.) lions were symbolic of the king's power. Kings, such as Amenhotep II and Amenhotep III, were said to have killed many lions for sport in lion hunts. Amenhotep III had large scarabs inscribed with texts describing his lion hunts. Sometimes the king was depicted with a lion lying besides his throne. This may have been symbolic, or perhaps the king actually had a pet lion. - (PF.4417)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1600 BC to 1100 BC Collection: Egyptian Style: New Kingdom Medium: Faience This wonderful amulet is in the form of a statuette of the dwarf god Bes.  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1600 BC to 1100 BC Collection: Egyptian Style: New Kingdom Medium: Faience This wonderful amulet is in the form of a statuette of the dwarf god Bes. Bes was a god of human fertility and was often represented on ancient Egyptian beds. This statuette is double-sided. It actually consists of two statuettes joined back to back. - (PF.4419)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1600 BC to 1100 BC Collection: Egyptian Style: New Kingdom Medium: Faience This amulet is in the form of a statuette of the goddess Taueret. She is  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1600 BC to 1100 BC Collection: Egyptian Style: New Kingdom Medium: Faience This amulet is in the form of a statuette of the goddess Taueret. She is represented with the body of a woman and the head of a hippopotamus. In this beautiful figure, she is shown with pendulous breasts and a stomach. In Egyptian mythology, Taueret is not only a fertility goddess, but she is also the protectress of pregnant woman. - (PF.4421)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1600 BC to 1100 BC Collection: Egyptian Style: New Kingdom Medium: Faience This beautiful amulet is in the form of a statuette of the god Khnum. He  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1600 BC to 1100 BC Collection: Egyptian Style: New Kingdom Medium: Faience This beautiful amulet is in the form of a statuette of the god Khnum. He is represented with a human body and the head of a ram. Khnum was a creator god who created individuals by forming them on his potter's wheel. He is often shown creating the king and his ka (his double, or life force), especially in the eighteenth dynasty (ca. 1550-1070 B.C.) other Egyptian creation myths concerned the creation of the world, and people in general. Khnum, however, was concerned with the creation of the individual people. The various creation myths of ancient Egypt originated in various parts of the country before Egypt was united into one entity. The Egyptians kept all of them because they believed the more viewpoints that one could hold, the better that one could have an understanding of it. - (PF.4422)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1600 BC to 1100 BC Collection: Egyptian Style: New Kingdom Medium: Faience This charming amulet is in the form of a seated statuette of the goddess  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1600 BC to 1100 BC Collection: Egyptian Style: New Kingdom Medium: Faience This charming amulet is in the form of a seated statuette of the goddess Isis. On her head is a sun disc surrounded by a pair of cow horns. She holds the infant god Horus, who nurses at her breast. In Egyptian myth, Isis is the sister and spouse of Osiris. They are descended from the sun god re through the Heliopolitan ennead. The child of Isis and Osiris, Horus, was embodied in the pharaoh. According to the myth, Seth, the brother of Horus, murdered his father Osiris. In one version, the pieces of Osiris's body were buried throughout Egypt. Isis searched for them and reunited the pieces. The union between Isis and the deceased Osiris produced the child Horus. The living king was identified with Horus, but when he died, he was identified with Osiris, who was king of the netherworld. The deceased king's successor then became the Horus. - (PF.4423)   « Less