Egyptian amulet of a Bes mask
Price: on request
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Object number
AR3407-09
| Object: |
Egyptian amulet of a Bes mask
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| Material: |
Turquoise faience with black applications.
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| Period: |
26th dynasty, Circa 664 BC to 525 BC. Late Period of Ancient Egypt. |
| Description: |
The flat amulet shows the head of the god Bes as a mask. Plume crown on the head. The eyes and crown emphasized by black applications.
A through hole runs transversely through the feather crown, through which the mask could be threaded as an amulet.
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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: |
26mm high, 16mm wide.
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| Condition: |
Perfect condition. Surface preserved with some nice detail.
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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. W. M. F. Petrie, Amulets, Tafel XXXIV, Nr. 190b.
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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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