Egypt, Late Dynastic to Ptolemaic Period, ca. 664 to 30 BCE. A mold-formed faience amulet depicting a wadjet (or wedjat, "Eye of Horus"), an ancient ocular symbol of protection. The eye components are finely incised on both sides of the bead which is embellished with a beautiful light blue glaze. A suspension hole is perforated laterally through the amulet for suspension. Size: 1.625" L x 0.375" W x 1.25" H (4.1 cm x 1 cm x 3.2 cm)
Symbolic of health, healing, and protection, the wadjet is one of the oldest symbols in Egyptian writing. In ancient Egyptian mythos, the falcon god Horus controlled the skies, the sun, and the moon. The sun (represented as the right eye of Horus) rose each day and gave life-giving energy to the crops and gods alike; when the sun set, the moon (represented as the left eye of Horus) rose over the land and provided a guiding path to the afterlife for the recently-deceased.
Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection, acquired 1990s; ex-Gray's Antiques, London, UK
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#165766
Condition
Some pitting and abrasions, commensurate with age. Otherwise, intact and excellent.