Female-headed sphinxes were a common amulet type of the Middle Kingdom. They featured an exaggerated hunched body and a female head, wearing a tripartite wig. This style developed within the Third Intermediate Period into a more refined amulet, with the introduction of the ‘Nubian’ hairstyle. The hairstyle was especially worn by women in relation to childbirth, nursing and applying makeup. The body on such amulets also became much more feline and cat-like, leading one to ascertain that they were related to the goddess Bastet. Bastet was considered to be the daughter of Ra, the sun god, and was originally shown with the features of a lion up until about 1000 BC when she started being portrayed as a cat or human with a cat head. The maternal, protective and hunting characteristics of the cat were the most obvious in Bastet and she is seen as a protector of pregnant women and young children.
To discover more about amulets in the Ancient Egyptian world, please visit our relevant post: Amulets in Ancient Egypt.
