Nehebkau Amulet

Description

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 often placed among a mummy's wrappings to secure the deceased’s rebirth and well-being in the afterlife. Many varieties of amulets survived, including figures of deities, parts of the human (or divine) body, animals, plants, and objects of daily life. Nehebkau, often depicted as a male with a snakehead, was one of the deities who judged the deceased before a council of the gods.

Provenance

Reverend Chauncey Murch (1859-1907), Luxor, Egypt; sold to the Art Institute of Chicago, 1894; price reimbursed by Henry H. Getty and Charles L. Hutchinson, 1894.

Nehebkau Amulet

Ancient Egyptian

Late Period, Dynasty 26–30 (664–332 BCE)

Accession Number

140647

Medium

Gold

Dimensions

2 × 1 × 0.8 cm (3/4 × 3/8 × 5/16 in.)

Classification

amulet

Museum

The Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago, United States

Credit Line

Gift of Henry H. Getty and Charles L. Hutchinson