Standing figure of the deity Khnum

Amulet of the ram-headed god of creation, Khnum. Khnum is an anthropomorphic deity with the head of a ram and the body of a human male. He strides with his left leg forward upon a rectangular base. Both arms hang at his sides and his hands are clenched in fists. He wears a tri-partite wig and a belted kilt. His horns curl forward toward his cheeks. A back plinth extends from the base upward to just below the back section of the wig. The plinth is perforated horizontally near the top.

Historical period(s)
Saite Dynasty 26, 664-525 BCE
Medium
Faience (glazed composition)
Dimensions
H x W x D: 3 x 0.8 x 1.1 cm (1 3/16 x 5/16 x 7/16 in)
Geography
Egypt
Credit Line
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art
Accession Number
F1907.22
On View Location
Freer Gallery 20: A Collector’s Eye: Freer in Egypt
Classification(s)
Faience
Type

Amulet

Keywords
Egypt, Khnum, protection, Saite Dynasty 26 (664 - 525 BCE)
Provenance

To 1907
Unidentified owner, Egypt, to 1907 [1]

From 1907 to 1919
Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased in Egypt from an unidentified owner in 1907 [2]

From 1920
Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]

Notes:

[1] See Original Pottery List, L. 1842, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.

[2] See note 1.

[3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Charles Lang Freer 1854-1919

Description

Amulet of the ram-headed god of creation, Khnum. Khnum is an anthropomorphic deity with the head of a ram and the body of a human male. He strides with his left leg forward upon a rectangular base. Both arms hang at his sides and his hands are clenched in fists. He wears a tri-partite wig and a belted kilt. His horns curl forward toward his cheeks. A back plinth extends from the base upward to just below the back section of the wig. The plinth is perforated horizontally near the top.

Label

Small amulets made of faience, stone, ceramic, metal, or glass were common personal possessions in ancient Egypt. They were most frequently fashioned in the form of gods and goddesses or of animals sacred to them. Amulets were believed to give their owners magical protection from a wide variety of ills and evil forces, including sickness, infertility, and death in childbirth. They were often provided with loops so they could be strung and worn as a necklace. Some amulets were made to place on the body of the deceased to protect the soul in the hereafter.

Collection Area(s)
Ancient Egyptian Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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