A rare Egyptian amulet finely modelled in lapis lazuli in the shape of the goddess Ma’at, portrayed seated on a pedestal base with the ostrich feather clearly visible on her head. Facial and anatomical features have been lightly carved.
Date: Circa 664 BC - 332 BC Period: Late Period Provenance: From an important private collection, formerly with Charles Ede. Condition: Extremely fine, complete and intact. Professional repair. Earthy encrustations to the surface.
In Ancient Egyptian culture and mythology Ma’at was the goddess of truth, justice, balance and harmony. She was often depicted with an ostrich feather, either on her hands or on her head. Ma’at amulets were worn by the living and by the mummies, as a guarantee of a successful judgment of the dead in the afterlife. It was against Ma’at’s ostrich feather that the heart was weighed to ascertain its owner’s worthiness to enter the Aaru, the Egyptian equivalent of Paradise.
