Egyptian Faience Head of Bes Amulet

$625.54

A charming Egyptian amulet of the god Bes produced from glazed olive-green faience. The head of the dwarf deity is depicted, as typical, wearing a plumed headdress consisting of five visible feathers with traces of yellow and blue faience. The facial features including his beard and protruding ears have been rendered in exceptional detail to show his grotesque expression. To the reverse, his hair sits behind his ears, the amulet is pierced horizontally through the headdress.

Date: Circa 664-332 BC
Period: Late period
Condition: Very fine condition.

SOLD

SKU: LD-274 Category: Tags: ,

Bes was known as a household deity primarily. Depicted as a ferocious dwarf he was the protector of women and children. His fierce nature lent itself well to protection and Bes was also regarded the protector of huntsmen and the god of war. He gained popularity in the New Kingdom and was worshiped extensively, even into the Roman period. Archaeological evidence, found at Bawiti of a temple dedicated to Bes, comes from the Hellenistic period, with further evidence to show continued use into the Roman period.

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

Weight 5.5 g
Dimensions W 2.1 x H 3.1 cm
Culture

Egyptian Mythology

Faience

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Region

Reference: For a similar item,The British Museum, item UC52848

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