Egyptian amulet of Bes
Price: on request
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Object number
AR3407-05
| Object: |
Egyptian amulet of Bes
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| Material: |
Turquoise faience.
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| Period: |
Third Intermediate Period to Late Period of Ancient Egypt, 1070 BC to 332 BC. |
| Description: |
The protective amulet shows the god Bes as a dwarf in a crouching position, his hands on his knees, a tail at the back. He wears a plume crown on his head. The figurine is made in the round. Behind the feather crown there is an eyelet through which the figurine could be threaded as an amulet. |
| Background: |
In ancient Egypt, Bes was the god of music and dance, and also the protector of children and pregnant women from wild animals and evil spirits. Some sources see him as a god of war, battles and the embodiment of a destructive force of nature. The god Bes appears in Egyptian art from the Middle Kingdom onwards. He is depicted as a dwarf with a hairpiece like for example a lion's mane or a feather headdress. The amulet became the most popular form, it emerged in the 18th Dynasty. It was widely used to protect children and mothers. The amulets were worn both in life and after death.
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| Dimensions: |
41mm high, 18mm wide.
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| Condition: |
Almost perfect condition. Only a small chip at the back of the headdress. Detailed surface.
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| Provenance: |
Acquired by us on the German art market in 2022. Previously in the German private collection G. L. Acquired in the 1960ies or earlier from an older collection.
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| References: |
Cf. Museum of Fine Arts Boston, acc. no. 83.329. Cf. Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, acc. no. INV 4631. Cf. Art Institute Chicago, ref. no. 1892.54. Cf. University of Birmingham, acc. no. ECM 1666, aus Sammlung Myers des Eton College. Cf. C. Andrews, Amulets of ancient egypt, p. 40, no. 37d. |
| Literature: |
C. Andrews, Amulets of ancient egypt.
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| Authenticity: |
We unconditionally guarantee the authenticity of every artefact, all items are subject to our lifetime return policy on authenticity.
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