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 wrappings of mummified bodies, as they were used to prepare the deceased for the afterlife.
The Four Sons of Horus are innately funerary figures, each attributed a different organ to protect, according to mythology. For Imsety, the liver; for Duamutef, the stomach; for Hapi, the lungs; and for Qebehsenuef, the intestines. They exhibit a variety of depictions in Egyptian art, but are most known for the canopic jars which held mummified remains, atop which a head of each son featured. They feature heavily in funerary art, including on sarcophogi and cartonnage, from the First Intermediate Period onwards.
To discover more about Egyptian amulets, please see our relevant blog post: Egyptian Amulets and their Meanings
