Amulet in the form of the god Osiris

Object Details

• Label

  Small amulets made of faience, stone, ceramic, metal, or glass were common personal possessions in ancient Egypt. They were most frequently fashioned in the form of gods and goddesses or of animals sacred to them. Amulets were believed to give their owners magical protection from a wide variety of ills and evil forces, including sickness, infertility, and death in childbirth. They were often provided with loops so they could be strung and worn as a necklace. Some amulets were made to place on the body of the deceased to protect the soul in the hereafter.

  Deities and animals represented in the group displayed here are among the subjects most favored for amulets. Taweret, the hippopotamus-headed goddess, and Bes, the dwarf god wearing tall plumes, protected women during childbirth. Cats often symbolized Bastet, a goddess of fertility. Other deities include Sakhmet, the lioness-headed goddess; the ram-headed Khnum, god of creation; and Thoth, god of wisdom, appearing as an ape or vervet monkey. Amulets specifically intended to protect the soul after death often depict Anubis, the jackal-headed god of the underworld, or Duamutef, the jackal-headed son of Horus, who protected the stomach.

• Provenance

  To 1908

  Maurice Nahman (1868-1948), Cairo, Egypt, to 1908 [1]

  From 1908 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Maurice Nahman, Cairo, in 1908 [2]

  From 1920

  Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]

  Notes:

  [1] See Miscellaneous List, S.I. 54, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.

  [2] See note 1.

  [3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Charles Lang Freer and Egypt (June 13, 1998 to October 2, 2011)

  Art of Dynastic Egypt (December 15, 1976 to September 22, 1977)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Maurice Nahman (1868-1948) (C.L. Freer source)

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

• Origin

  Egypt

• Credit Line

  Gift of Charles Lang Freer

• Type

  Jewelry and Ornament

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  BCE 1000s

• Name

  Freer, Charles Lang, Nahman, Maurice

• Place

  Egypt

• Topic

  Charles Lang Freer collection, Art, Osiris, Third Intermediate Period (ca. 1075 - 656 BCE), Ancient Egyptian Art, Stone, Protection

• Culture

  Egyptians

• Object Type

  Ornaments, Jewelry