The foot shaped amulet could have possibly bestowed protection on the relative body part of the wearer. This was not an usual practice, as, for example, in the neighbouring Egyptian culture, many amulets modelled in body parts, such as the feet, were intended to protect and fortify that area of the body, or, if used in a funeral context, provide the deceased with the ability to walk in the afterlife. It is not unlikely that such an amulet had similar intended properties.
Many grand civilisations inhabited the area of Western Asia in Antiquity, and their wealth and prosperity is witnessed by the very sophisticated precious metal crafting of jewellery. Gold would have been hammered down to a thin layer and manipulated into different shapes. Gold, electrum and silver jewellery would have featured gold granules, glass and semi-precious stone inlays and detailed engravings. Fine granulation, as we can see on this item, along with filigree, were at the centre of Near Eastern and Western Asiatic jewellery production and were later adopted by the Greeks, Etruscans and Romans.
To discover more about metalwork techniques in Antiquity, please visit our relevant blog post: Decorative Metalwork Techniques
