amulet
- Museum number
- EA30468
- Description
-
Amulet of electrum: composed of two chicks or geese with straight legs and long necks confronted over a clump of papyrus. Their beaks fuse into one above the papyrus clump: perhaps they are intended to be billing. The clump consists of three stems with umbels at the top; the central umbel is upright and the two side umbels hang over and press against the birds' necks. The rump of one bird is pierced from front to back; there are no comparable holes in the other bird, only a break in the electrum at the tail. There are no details on the piece. The birds stand on a plain bar which forms the base of the amulet. The amulet was made in two halves, the obverse being stamped or pressed over a mould apparently all in one - birds and papyrus clump together. The reverse is plain with a horizontal tube soldered behind the birds' necks for suspension threads. There is a core inside the amulet, possibly of resin and quartz.
- Dimensions
-
Height: 2.42 centimetres (max)
-
Thickness: 0.57 centimetres (max)
-
Width: 4.38 centimetres (max)
- Curator's comments
- The significance of the group is not obvious. Perhaps the papyrus is the magical plant 'nbḥḥ' 'of the hidden mound' i.e. Busiris (See P. Barguet, 'Le livre des Morts des anciens Égyptiens’ (Paris, 1967), 248, chapter 168).
Bibliography:
The British Museum, 'A Guide to the Third and Fourth Egyptian Rooms' (London, 1904) 216, no. 157;
E. A. Wallis Budge 'A Guide to the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Egyptian Rooms, and the Coptic Room' (London, 1922), 90. no. 157;
J. Garstang, ‘el Arabah’ (London, 1901), 5.
- Location
- Not on display
- Condition
- fair (damaged)
- Acquisition date
- 1899
- Department
- Egypt and Sudan
- BM/Big number
- EA30468
- Registration number
- 1899,0314.20
