Egypt, New Kingdom Period to Third Intermediate Period, 18th to 25th Dynasty, ca. 1550 to 664 BCE. A hand carved greenstone seal bead in the form of a scaraboid. The top is rounded and polished, letting the pretty natural greenstone hues decorate the simple form. The underside of the face is etched with a zoomorphic ungulate, perhaps a hippopotamus, with a three fronds fanning above that represent papyrus, and below its feet is a crocodile. This seal is symbolic of the goddess Taweret, "The Great Female One." Taweret is a blend of hippopotamus, crocodile, and human features. Those two animals are some of the fiercest known to the ancient Egyptians from the Nile Delta, and the goddess is a fierce protector of pregnant and nursing women, called upon to protect women in childbirth. Size: 0.75" L x 0.55" W (1.9 cm x 1.4 cm)
Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection, acquired 1990s
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#165759
Condition
Intact and excellent. Some softening of incised details and age expected surface wear.