figure;
amulet
- Description
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Large mould-made amuletic figure in glazed composition, representing the goddess Maat; squatting on a thick rectangular base, wearing a mummiform shroud and a tripartite striated wig with a headband; rectangular socket is cut on the top of the head for inserting the traditional ostrich feather of her headdress, which is missing; fine shape and proportions; well modelled with some incised details for ears and hair; glaze very eroded; in fine yellowish cream paste; some cracks, which appeared during the firing, are visible here and there, particularly on the head; front left bottom part is broken off.
- Production date
- 6thC BC - 4thC BC (likely)
- Dimensions
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Height: 7.80 centimetres
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Length: 3.40 centimetres
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Width: 3 centimetres
- Curator's comments
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Object owned and held by World Museum, Liverpool. 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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Maat, goddess which personifies ideas of justice, order and truth, appears rarely in Naukratis finds. To this faience figurine can be added one bronze ostrich feather, symbol of Maat (BM 1885,1101.89). Such feather was used to top Maat figures. Although amulets of Maat are known funerary amulets, they could also be used as a judge's insignia according to Herodotus (Andrews 1994, 22).
On amuletic figures of Maat: Andrews 1994, 21-22; Herrmann et al. 2010, 38 (type 10).
Andrews, C. 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.
- Location
- Not on display
- Condition
- Fair, but incomplete (front left bottom part broken off)
- Acquisition date
- 1886
- Department
- External
- Additional IDs
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Miscellaneous number: 9,9,86,83 (Accession Number)