Art Institute of Chicago

Ram Amulet

Egyptian

Date

Late Period–Ptolemaic Period (664–30 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 were placed among the mummy wrappings to secure the deceased’s rebirth and well-being in the afterlife. Many varieties of amulets survive, including figures of deities, parts of the human (ordivine) body, animals, plants, and objects of daily life. The ram symbolized of virility and power. The amulet was also a pun: the words “ram” and “soul” were the same in ancient Egyptian, and so by extension, the amulet gave power to the soul of the deceased.

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