Egyptian Faience Frog Amulet with Nefer Hieroglyph

£ 400.00

An incredible Ancient Egyptian faience amulet, modelled in the shape of a frog and featuring olive green and bright red glaze. The frog is portrayed sitting on an oval plinth, with its head slightly turned up. Anatomical features are naturalistically rendered, with the eyes glazed in red. The amulet has been pierced longitudinally for suspension. The flat base of the amulet has been carved with a Nefer hieroglyph, representing the Egyptian word for beautiful or good.

Date: Circa 1550-1077 BC
Period: New Kingdom Period
Condition: xtremely fine and well-preserved example.

SOLD

Product Code: ES-105
Category: Tags: ,

The Ancient Egyptians wore amulets alongside other pieces of jewellery. Amulets were decorative, but also served a practical purpose, being considered to bestow power and protection upon the wearer. Many amulets have been found inside the wrappings of mummies, as they were used to prepare the deceased for the afterlife. Due to its numerous offspring, Egyptians associated the frog to fertility, rebirth and thus, afterlife. Such amulets were mostly worn by women in the hope for a new-born and for a less painful childbearing. This is why frogs were also associated with the Creator God Khnum or whit the Goddess of birth Heqat, always as a symbol of life creation and thus often found as votive offerings in several temples.  When worn by men instead, they were seen as a protector for the afterlife.

To discover more about amulets in the Ancient Egyptian world, please visit our relevant post: Amulets in Ancient Egypt.

Dimensions L 1 cm
Faience

Green Faience, Red Faience

Region

North Africa

Reference: For a similar item, The Metropolitan Museum, item 11.215.48.

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