Ancient Egyptian Glazed Faience Horus Amulet

£ 1,250.00

An extremely fine and beautiful example of an Egyptian amulet of the god Horus in his hawk form, modelled in glazed, polychromatic faience. Depicted in a naturalistic manner, the falcon is seen seated upon a bluish plinth, with talons outstretched before it. The wings are tucked neatly against the body, and careful incisions make even the tail feathers discernible. Further details are exectuted through the vibrant glaze, including brown dots which scatter across the bird’s body. Similar dots in low relief are used to render the deity’s eye. Upon the god’s head is the Hedjet, the white crown of upper Egypt, here emphasised with yellow glaze. A suspension look protrudes behind the bird’s neck.

Date: Circa 1070–664 BC
Period: Third Intermediate Period or later
Condition: Very fine condition.

SOLD

SKU: MG-357 Category: Tags: , , ,

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.

Horus was commonly depicted with the head of a falcon and was a sky god, who looked after the sun and moon. They were said to be represented in each of his eyes, and thus the Eye of Horus, also known as ‘Wedjat’, was an ancient symbol of protection, particularly for the afterlife, as well as possessing the ability to deflect evil. Amulets held different meanings, depending on their type or form. Small amulets depicting gods and goddesses seem to have induced the protective powers of the deity. On the other hand, small representations of anatomical features or creatures suggest that the wearer required protection over a specific body part, or that he/she desired the skills of a particular animal. Amulets depicting animals were very common in the Old Kingdom Period, whilst representations of deities gained popularity in the Middle Kingdom.

To find out more about Ancient Egyptian amulets please see our relevant blog post: Egyptian Amulets and their Meanings: Ancient Egyptian Gods.

Weight 9.31 g
Dimensions L 3.4 x H 4.8 cm
Culture

Region

Faience

Glaze

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Reference: For a similar spotted faience, please see The Metropolitan Museum, item 44.4.40

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