Egyptian amulet of a Bes mask
€1,400
available
Object number
AR3407-02
| Object: |
Egyptian amulet of a Bes mask
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| Material: |
Mint green faience.
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| Period: |
Ptolemaic era of Egypt, Early 4th cent. BC to 1st cent. BC. |
| Description: |
The flat amulet shows the head of the god Bes as a mask. Feathers on the head, the nostrils and ears are worked with the drill.
A through hole runs transversely through the feather crown, through which the mask could be threaded as an amulet. The holes in the ears could have been used to sew the mask onto a mummy's wrappings.
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| 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: |
38mm high, 37mm wide.
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| Condition: |
Reassembled from two parts, with visible split line across the face. Otherwise wonderfully preserved, only minor chips, detailed surface. A nice specimen.
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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. The Walters Art Museum, acc. no. 48.1661.
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| 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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