Art Institute of Chicago

Amulet of a Heart

Egyptian

Date

New Kingdom, Dynasty 18 (about 1550–1295 BCE)

Medium

Glass

Culture

Egypt

Department

Arts of Africa

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

Small-scale Egyptian figurines, known as amulets, were thought to promote health and good luck. Amulets were such an important part of Egyptian religious beliefs that they were worn by both the living and the dead. They could be mounted on rings or strung as bracelets or necklaces; and amulets in the shape of human organs were often placed in mummy wrappings near the organ they represented to ensure the well-being of the deceased in the afterlife.The human heart—the seat of the soul and memory in Egyptian belief—was represented as a jar with two small handles. Heart-shaped amulets protected the individual’s intellect and allowed the deceased to make his or her confession before the gods at the judgment of their soul.

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