Ancient Egypt, Third Intermediate to Late Dynastic Period, 21st to 31st Dynasty, ca. 1070 to 332 BCE. A mold-formed and turquoise-glazed faience amulet of Sekhmet (occasionally Sakhmet, literally "the powerful one"), the lioness-headed goddess of war, healing, and the sun. The city of Memphis had a large cult following of Sekhmet with a temple dedicated to the goddess. Her name comes from the Egyptian word "Sekhem" which translates to "power" or "might" - indeed Sekhmet is sometimes translated as "Powerful One" or "She who is Powerful." Sekhmet is also mentioned in several spells of The Book of the Dead, discussed as both a creative and a destructive force, but above all, the guardian of Ma'at (balance or justice) who defies evil. Size: 0.47" L x 0.46" W x 1.59" H (1.2 cm x 1.2 cm x 4 cm)
Exhibited at the Drexel Museum, Philadelphia, 1895 to 1914; with the Drexel Institute Collection, Minneapolis Museum of Art, 1915 to 1958, ref. no. 16.110; at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) from 1986 to 1991; in the University of Arizona Museum of Art, October 1993 to December 1993; and in the Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art (RAFFMA), California State University, San Bernardino from 1996 to 2023
Provenance: Collection of Dr. W. Benson Harer, Los Angeles, California, USA; ex-Emil Brugsch Collection, curator of the Bulaq Museum, Cairo, Egypt; Exhibited at the Drexel Museum, Philadelphia, 1895 to 1914; with the Drexel Institute Collection, Minneapolis Institute of Art, 1915 to 1958, ref. no. 16.330; at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) from 1986 to 1991; in the University of Arizona Museum of Art, October 1993 to December 1993; and in the Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art (RAFFMA), California State University, San Bernardino from 1996 to 2023
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#182350
Condition
Softening to some finer details, with light earthen deposits over some glazed areas, otherwise intact and excellent. Great preservation to figural form. Old museum number handwritten behind head.