List of ancient Egyptian statuary with amulet necklaces
An amulet, also known as a good luck charm, is an object believed to confer protection upon its possessor. The "Amulets of Ancient Egypt" fall in approximately seven major categories:
- Amulets of gods/goddesses and sacred animals
- Amulets of protection (or aversion)
- The scarab for the living, (or for a funerary offering)
- Amulets of assimilation
- Amulets for powers
- Amulets of possessions, property, or as offerings
- (symbolism of materials)
The first usages are from time periods of: ED, Early Dynastic Period, FIP, First Intermediate Period, G-R, Graeco-Roman Period, LD, Late Dynastic Period, MK, Middle Kingdom, NK, New Kingdom, OK, Old Kingdom, SIP, Second Intermediate Period, and TIP, Third Intermediate Period.
Amulet | Egy. lang. equiv | Discovered by | Usage-or- Origin | City/ cemetery | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Papyrus stem (hieroglyph) (scarab at left) | udjt utchat | 5th Dynasty | Mastaba | One of the 14 Spirits of Ra-(no 5); meanings of youth, viguor | ||
Girdle of Isis/Knot of Isis Tyet (and Djed Pillar) | tyt | Flinders Petrie | 5th Dynasty | Mastaba |
Amulets of protection[edit]
Amulets of protection: animals, gods, goddesses, etc.
Ankh Amulet[edit]
|
(seated)-block statue of: Cuboid Statue of Tety called Tetyty,[1] (photo), British Museum
Amulet | Egyptian. lang. equiv | Discovered by | Usage-or- Origin | City/ cemetery | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ankh-Amulet on necklace | 'n(kh) | British Museum, acquired by E. A. Wallis Budge | 1475BC | Karnak-(?) | protection, or honorary amulet part of hieroglyph-statement-theme: an(kh)-hot(e)p (+ on right and left hands: symbols of Upper and Lower Egypt + Sun + Moon); modern meaning: Enjoy: Life & Peace, everywhere the Sun and Moon is present,[2] (all of Egypt) see wikicommons: Block statues of Egypt |
Bes Amulet[edit]
|
(shiny boxwood statuette) Young Girl, (shaved head with youth side lock), Carrying oversized Pot The Durham Servant Girl, (photo, Durham Museum)
Amulet | Egy. lang. equiv | Discovered by | Usage-or- Origin | City/ cemetery | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
medium-sized Bes Amulet on necklace | Durham University Museum acquired after 1816, by Lord Algernon Percy | (reign of Amenhotep III) | from pit, near TT52 owned by First Prophet of Amun, MeryPtah | protection, or honorary amulet (no photo, at present[3]) for God of Children, or Youth boxwood, small cosmetic container-(in non-standard/expressionist style) |
- Motif:
(non-formal Egyptian style): Dwarf /(Child) Carrying Oversized Container
Amarna Period, reign of Akhenaten, 1353-1336 BC
Eye of Horus Amulet[edit]
|
Gayer-Anderson cat, (donated to British Museum)
Amulet | Egy. lang. equiv | Discovered by | Usage-or- Origin | City/ cemetery | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Plaque-Necklace as Eye-of-Horus Amulet | (Late Period of Egypt) | cat, as cat-Goddess Bastet British Museum |
Eye of Horus Amulet, Thoth-Baboon statues[edit]
|
Amulet | Egy. lang. equiv | Discovered by | Usage-or- Origin | City/ cemetery | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Plaque-Necklace as Eye-of-Horus Amulet | baboon, as god-Thoth Louvre (no. E17496) |
Other types of plaque-necklaces on Thoth-baboon:
- statue at Louvre with plaque-amulet necklace
3-Fox-Skins[edit]
|
vertical Painted Relief Panel of Iry,[4] Scribe, ((correct vertical)-Painted Panel Relief of Iry. )
Amulet | Egy. lang. equiv | Discovered by | Usage-or- Origin | City/ cemetery | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
3-fox skins on necklace | ms, "born of" examples: Pharaoh Ahmose: "Moon-Born", or: Kamose, "Spirit-Born" | 4th Dynasty (2613–2589 BC) | Iry's Tomb, Saqqara | protection(?), or honorary amulet(?) --- (Actual Photo of Iry's Panel, see British Museum page) (photo shown of similar vertical panel, same period of hieroglyphs: wood panel of Hesy-Ra) |
Fringed-Fabric ligatured w/ vertical S-(folded cloth)[edit]
|
Amulet | Egy. lang. equiv | Discovered by | Usage-or- Origin | City/ cemetery | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fringed-Fabric with S folded cloth-Symbol on necklace | Narmer Palette, Predynastic Egypt or Old Kingdom | the palette is from Hierakonopolis | behind Pharaoh Narmer, attendant carrying "pair of sandals": his title from necklace: Steward of the Pharaoh's Wardrobe necklace of authority (see expanded version: Attendant of Pharaoh Narmer) |
Heart amulet[edit]
|
Amulet | Egy. lang. equiv | Discovered by | Usage-or- Origin | City/ cemetery | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Heart Amulet on necklace | TT55, tomb of Ramose (TT55), (in Theban Tomb 55) | Necklace with Heart-shaped amulet Central Figure, under 2-opposite-facing Water Libation vessels streaming Water-streams. Usekh collar, double-stranded necklace w/ large amulet laying upon the collar. Wikicommons, Tomb of Ramose |
Pectoral Necklace[edit]
|
Amulet | Egy. lang. equiv | Discovered by | Usage-or- Origin | City/ cemetery | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pectoral on necklace | Louvre Museum | suspension loop -- (for necklace) |
- Offering of Pectoral Necklace
Unidentified amulet[edit]
|
(two statues) Prince Rahotep, and wife Nofret
Amulet | Egy. lang. equiv | Discovered by | Usage-or- Origin | City/ cemetery | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
possibly: 3-fox skins on necklace (for husband: Prince Rahotep-wife Nofret has a Usekh collar-type necklace) | 4th Dynasty (2613–2589 BC) | the couple's Mastaba at Meidum | protection(?), or honorary amulet(?) |
Amulet necklace statues of Senusret III[edit]
|
– (created by Senusret III(?), or from Kush country(?))
Statues of Senusret III
Amulet | Egy. lang. equiv | Discovered by | Usage-or- Origin | City/ cemetery | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
pierced object amulet on necklace | 12th Dynasty (ca 1850 BC) (post Kush campaigns(?)) | Senusret III statue at British Museum | protection(?), or honorary amulet(?) found on multiple statues |
- Amulet Necklace on 3-statues, British Museum
- Berlin Museum statue
- Louvre statue
Scarab amulets[edit]
Amulets of assimilation[edit]
2-Wine-Jars[edit]
|
(tomb relief) Maya (Egyptian) w/Staff and hieroglyph inscriptions–(Tomb of Maya)
Amulet | Egy. lang. equiv | Discovered by | Usage-or- Origin | City/ cemetery | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2-Wine-Jars amulet on necklace | irp, 'wine' (Det.) | Geoffrey Martin 1986- (Re-working of Saqqara tombs-newly discovered tomb)[5] | Tomb of Maya Maya was Treasurer of Tutankhamun | Abundance (no photo link, at present) (see Pectoral (Ancient Egypt)) |
References[edit]
- ^ Keller, 2000. Bowers Museum of Cultural Art, 2000. Egyptian Treasure from the British Museum, Statue of Tety, p. 44-45.
- ^ Keller, 2000; Statue of Tety, p. 45.
- ^ Reeves, 2000, Ancient Egypt, The Great Discoveries, a Year-by-Year Chronicle, 1816-1818, p. 19.
- ^ Keller, 2000. Bowers Museum of Cultural Art, 2000. Egyptian Treasure from the British Museum, Relief Panel of Iry, p. 40-41.
- ^ Reeves, 2000, Ancient Egypt, The Great Discoveries, a Year-by-Year Chronicle, 1975: New Kingdom Tombs at Saqqara, pp. 215-219, Other tombs - and Maya, pp. 218-219.
- Andrews, Carol, 1994. Amulets of Ancient Egypt, chapter 4: Scarabs for the living and funerary scarabs, pp 50–59, Andrews, Carol, c 1993, University of Texas Press, 518 amulets, 1, or multiples included in 12 necklaces; (softcover, ISBN 0-292-70464-X)
- Keller, 2000. Bowers Museum of Cultural Art, c 2000. Egyptian Treasure from the British Museum, Peter Keller, (Bowers), Robert Anderson, (British Museum), Carol A.R. Andrews, (British Museum), Relief Panel of Iry, p. 40-41. (softcover, ISBN 0-9679612-0-3)
- Reeves, 2000. Ancient Egypt, The Great Discoveries, a Year-by-Year Chronicle, Nicholas Reeves, (Thames and Hudson Ltd, London), c 2000. 1975: New Kingdom Tombs at Saqqara, pp. 215–219, Other tombs - and Maya, pp. 218–219. (1816-18): After 1816, The Durham Servant Girl, p. 19. (hardcover, ISBN 0-500-05105-4)