Egyptian Carnelian Amulet of Taweret

£ 1,400.00

A carnelian amulet of the Egyptian goddess Taweret (also known as  Thoueris) depicted as a pregnant hippopotamus. She stands in profile on a rectangular base with a suspension loop to the reverse.

Date: Circa 404-323 BC
Period: Late Dynastic Period
Provenance: property of a North London gentleman; formerly in an early 20th century collection.
Condition: Very fine. Professionally repaired to the base.

SOLD

SKU: AH-642 Category: Tag:

Thoeris, also known as ‘Tawaret’ was an Egyptian deity who attended women in childbirth, and became a patron for pregnant women accordingly. She is often shown standing as a heavily pregnant hippopotamus with low hanging stomach. 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.

To find out more about the use of carnelian in Ancient Egyptian culture please see our relevant blog post: The Significance of Carnelian in Ancient Egyptian Culture.

Weight 2.5 g
Dimensions H 2.5 cm
Culture

Egyptian Mythology

Semi-Precious Stones

Region

Reference: For a similar item, The Metropolitan Museum, accession number 30.8.273.