amulet
- Description
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Glazed composition amulet in the shape of a wadj papyrus-column; pierced loop for suspension above capital; greenish blue glaze well preserved.
- Production date
- 6thC BC (?)
- Dimensions
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Height: 3 centimetres
- Curator's comments
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Object owned and held by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. This record is included in the British Museum database as part of the Museum’s Naukratis Project, a research collaboration that aims to virtually re-unite finds from the ancient port city of Naukratis, now distributed over 80 museums worldwide.
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Though they appear already in the 18th dynasty (Andrews 1994, 81-82), wadj-column amulets are especially well attested between the 26th and 30th dynasty and persist in early ptolemaic contexts (Petrie 1914, 12; Wilson 1982, 31-32, pl. XXIX n°1-2; Giddy 1992, pl. 49, 78/284, pl. 53, 78/86, pl. 77, 78/284; Masson forthcoming; see also numerous Late Period references in Herrmann 2006, 228-229, KatNr. 440-446, Pl. XCIX C). Such amulets are usually associated to ideas of regeneration and youth (Andrews 1994, 81-82; Germond 2005, 24).
Considering its context of discovery, it should be dated to the 26th dynasty. However, the registers of the Museum of Fine Arts tend to allocate the Scarab Factory as a findspot for not only scarabs, scaraboids and their moulds, but also all types of amulets from Naukratis. Caution is therefore required for the dating and the findspot. Let's note that the records written (or at least supervised by) Amelia Edwards mention the Scarab Factory as the findspot too.
Andrews, C. 1994, Amulets of Ancient Egypt, London.
Germond, P. 2005, Le monde symbolique des amulettes égyptiennes de la collection Jacques-Édouard Berger, Milan.
Giddy, L.L. 1992, The Anubieion at Saqqâra II. The Cemeteries, EES 56, London.
Herrmann, C. 2006, Ägyptische Amulette aus Palästina/Israel Band III (Orbis Biblicus et Orientalis, Series Archaeologica 24), 2006.
Masson, A. forthcoming, Le quartier des prêtres sur la rive est du Lac Sacré à Karnak.
Petrie, W.M.F. 1912, Amulets, London.
Wilson, K.L. 1982, Cities of the Delta, Part II: Mendes – Preliminary Report on the 1979 and 1980 Seasons (American Research Center in Egypt Report 5), Malibu.
- Location
- Not on display
- Condition
- Fair
- Acquisition date
- 1886
- Department
- External
- Additional IDs
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Miscellaneous number: 86.801 (Accession Number)
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Miscellaneous number: P.5226 (Pottery & Porcelain Ledger No.)