Art Institute of Chicago

Amulet of a Menat Counterpoise with Lion-headed Goddess

Egyptian

Date

Third Intermediate Period, Dynasty 25–Late Period, Dynasty 26, about 747–525 BCE

Medium

Faience

Culture

Egypt

Department

Arts of Africa

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

Ancient Egyptians, both living and dead, wore amulets of gods and goddesses— depictions of deities in their human, animal, or mixed forms—to bring protection and health. This example shows a small, lion-headed goddess atop a menat counterpoise, a beaded necklace with a counterweight attached to the back to hold it in place. Ancient Egyptians used the menat in religious ceremonies, where it could simply be worn or could serve as a percussion instrument, since shaking it created noise that calmed deities. While the identity of the goddess is uncertain, she wears a sun disc and the uraeus (a hooded cobra affixed to the crowns of royalty and deities), both symbols for the Eye of Re. The goddesses who acted as the Eye of Re were the daughters and protectors of the sun god, Re.

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