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Amulet of Ra-Horakhty
Nubian
Napatan Period, reign of Piankhy (Piye)
743–712 B.C.
Findspot: Nubia (Sudan), el-Kurru, Ku 52
Medium/Technique
Faience
Dimensions
Height x width: 9.2 x 5.3 cm (3 5/8 x 2 1/16 in.)
Credit Line
Harvard University—Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition
Accession Number24.675
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsJewelry, Ancient Egypt, Nubia and the Near East
ClassificationsJewelry / Adornment – Pectorals
DescriptionThis intricate openwork amulet represents one of several falcon-headed deities worshipped in Egypt and Nubia, probably Ra-Horakhty. The amulet is in the form of a plaque showing the god seated and holding an ankh, the hieroglyphic symbol for life. He wears an elaborate headdress consisting of a tall atef crown adorned with ram's' horns, plumes, uraeus cobras and a solar disk. Such headdresses are usually associated with Ra-Horakhty. Because of his association with the rising sun, amulets representing the god were believed to help the deceased achieve rebirth in the afterlife. A loop on the back of the crown allowed the amulet to be strung.
ProvenanceFrom el-Kurru, Ku 52 (tomb of Queen Nefrukekashta). 1919: excavated by the Harvard University–Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition; assigned to the MFA in the division of finds by the government of Sudan.
(Accession date: January 1, 1924)
(Accession date: January 1, 1924)