Bead-pendant in closed flower form

Tapering, four sided….lines of blue inlaid at the corners.

Historical period(s)
Possibly Saite Dynasty 26, Possibly Late Period, 664-525 BCE
Medium
Clay
Dimensions
H x W x D: 3.5 x 1.2 x 1.2 cm (1 3/8 x 1/2 x 1/2 in)
Geography
Egypt
Credit Line
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art
Accession Number
F1908.205
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Ceramic, Jewelry and Ornament
Type

Pendant: bead

Keywords
Egypt, flower, Late Period (664 - 332 BCE), Saite Dynasty 26 (664 - 525 BCE)
Provenance

To 1908
Maurice Nahman (1868-1948), Cairo, Egypt, to 1908 [1]

From 1908 to 1919
Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Maurice Nahman, Cairo, in 1908 [2]

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

Notes:

[1] See Original Pottery List, L. 1704, 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
Maurice Nahman (C.L. Freer source) 1868-1948

Description

Tapering, four sided....lines of blue inlaid at the corners.

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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