amulet
- Museum number
- 1888,0601.58
- Description
-
Amulet carved in lapis lazuli, in the form of a bird, lilely an ibis, bird associated to Thoth, or a vulture, representing the goddess Nekhbet; standing on a small base; wings detailed by some incised cross-lines; tail and feet in open-work; loop for suspension on the back; complete.
- Production date
- 664 BC - 332 BC (?)
- Dimensions
-
Height: 1.50 centimetres
-
Length: 1.10 centimetres
-
Width: 0.75 centimetres
- Curator's comments
- Due to the minute size of the amulet, the identification of the bird is uncertain.
Amulets of Thoth in his ibis-shape have a more funerary connotation (on the link between ibis amulets and Thoth recording the result of the judgement of the deceased: Andrews 1994, 27, 49; on various amulets of ibis: Herrmann et al. 2010, 106).
Amulets of Nekhbet as a vulture tends to have the feathers more detailed in the same fashion of this amulet (on Nekhbet amulets: Andrews 1994, 35).
On the variety of amulets discovered in Naukratis: Masson forthcoming.
Andrews, C.A.R. 1994, Amulets of Ancient Egypt, London.
Herrmann, C., Staubli, T., Berger-Lober, S., Keel, O., Schönbächler, G. 2010, 1001 Amulett : altägyptischer Zauber, monotheisierte Talismane, säkulare Magie, Bibel+Orient-Museum, Liebefeld, Stuttgart.
Masson, A. forthcoming, ‘Naukratis: Egyptian offerings in context’, in M. Bergeron and A. Masson (eds), Naukratis in Context II: Cults, Sanctuaries and Offerings. Proceedings of the Second Naukratis Project Workshop held at the British Museum, 22nd – 23rd June 2013.
- Location
- Not on display
- Condition
- Rather fair
- Acquisition date
- 1888
- Department
- Greek and Roman
- Registration number
- 1888,0601.58
