amulet
- Museum number
- EA30482
- Description
-
Gold amulet: composed of a gold flat fish with a semi-translucent quartz inlay body. The base-plate, body and fins have been cut from a single piece of sheet metal. The tail was added separately, perhaps after it originally broke off. The body consists of a cloison made from a strip of foil soldered at right angles to the base-plate; the solder is visible. The cloison thus formed is inlaid with an oval piece of quartz which is broken across at the widest point (the head) and has a chip in the tail-piece. To the front of the base-plate is soldered a ring scored with three lines. The obverse of the fins and tail is scored with lines radiating from the body.
- Dimensions
-
Height: 2.40 centimetres
-
Length: 3.50 centimetres
-
Weight: 3 grammes
-
Depth: 0.30 centimetres
- Curator's comments
- The fish amulet seems to have been worn as an adornment for the hair and was called 'nekhaw' (see C. Aldred, ‘Jewels of the Pharaohs’ (London, 1971), 141, fig. 22.
This is the companion piece to 1899,0314.35 and the less complete example.
Bibliography:
The British Museum, 'A Guide to the Third and Fourth Egyptian Rooms' (London, 1904), 220, no. 383;
E. A. Wallis Budge 'A Guide to the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Egyptian Rooms, and the Coptic Room' (London, 1922), 93, no. 383.
Published: Andrews, Amulets of Ancient Egypt (1994): fig.43
- Location
- Not on display
- Condition
- good
- Acquisition date
- 1899
- Department
- Egypt and Sudan
- BM/Big number
- EA30482
- Registration number
- 1899,0314.34
