Ancient Egyptian Gold Frog Amulet to Amenhotep III

$877.76

A delicate example of an Ancient Egyptian frog amulet made from gold and finely modelled, despite its small dimensions. The animal is rendered in a naturalistic manner, with minuscule dots and lines decorating and outlining its body. It rests on a flat base, which shows traces of incised hieroglyphs on the base, surrounded by an inscribed oval cartouche. Whilst the hieroglyphs are crudely rendered, due largely to the size of the amulet, they form part of the Nomen of the 18th Dynasty pharaoh, Amenhotep III. To the top of the cartouche, from  right to left, is the feather of Ma’at (𓆄), followed by the draughtboard sign (𓏠) and the water ripple(𓈖) sign. These signs combine and transliterate as ‘a-mn-n’. Underneath these is ḥtp sign (𓊵), described as loaf on a reed mat. Thus, all four signs combine to read: A-mn-n ḥtp, Amunhotep.

 

Date: Circa 1470-1330 BC
Period: New Kingdom Period, Dynasty 18
Provenance: From a private French collection, formed in the early 20th century
Condition: Good condition, some earthly encrustations to the surface.

SOLD

SKU: AH-913 Category: Tags: , , ,

Due to its numerous offspring, Egyptians associated the frog to fertility, rebirth and thus, afterlife. Such amulets were worn by women in the hope for a new-born and for a less painful childbearing. When worn by men, they were seen as a symbol of protection for the afterlife.

The hieroglyphs including on the reverse of the amulet combine to form part of the Nomen of Amenhotep. Whilst the rest of the titular is missing, we can assume that the amulet is dedicated to Amenhotep III, also known as Amenhotep the Magnificent. Amenhotep III was the 9th pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty, ruling Ancient Egypt for a period of great prosperity. He was the son of Thutmose IV and went on to father a number of children himself, including Akhenaten, the father of Tutankhamun. It is documented that Amenhotep III reigned for a period of 38/39 years and his reign marks the pinnacle of Egypt’s power, internationally and artistically. An unprecedented number of statues survive from his reign, documenting his life through sculpture. Egypt maintained a relatively peaceful period during Amenhotep III’s reign, with only one campaign recorded in Nubia. The name Amenhotep translates as ‘Amun is satisfied’.

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

Weight 0.58 g
Dimensions L 0.6 x W 0.3 cm
Culture

Egyptian Mythology

Egyptian Pharaohs

Metal

Region

Reference: For Similar: Christies, London, Auction 6060, 14th April 2011, lot 40

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