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Egyptian Antiquities :
Egyptian Amulets : Egyptian Faience Amulet of Thoth
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Egyptian Faience Amulet of Thoth - X.0324
Origin: Egypt
Circa: 664
BC
to 525
BC
Collection: Egyptian
Medium: Faience
£6,000.00
Location: Great Britain
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| Description |
The 26th Dynasty, also known as the Saite
Period, is traditionally placed by scholars at the
end of the Third Intermediate Period or at the
beginning of the Late Dynastic Period. In either
case, the Saite Period rose from the ashes of a
decentralized Egyptian state that had been
ravaged by foreign occupation. Supported by the
assistance of a powerful family centered in the
Delta town of Sais, the Assyrians finally drove
the Nubians out of Egypt. At the close of this
campaign, Ashurbanipal’s kingdom was at the
height of its power; however, due to civil strife
back east, he was forced to withdraw his forces
from Egypt. Psamtik I, a member of the family
from Sais, seized this opportunity to assert his
authority over the entire Nile Valley and found
his own dynasty, the 26th of Egyptian history.
Known as the Saite Period due to the importance
of the capital city Sais, the 26th Dynasty, like
many before it, sought to emulate the artistic
styles of past pharaoh in order to bolster their
own claims to power and legitimize their
authority.
Faience, which dates back to predynastic times,
at least 5,000 years, is a glasslike non-clay
substance made of materials common to Egypt:
ground quartz, crushed quartz pebbles, flint, a
soluble salt-like baking soda, lime and ground
copper, which provided the characteristic color.
The dried objects went into kilns looking pale
and colorless but emerged a sparkling "Egyptian
blue." Called tjehnet by the Ancient Egyptians,
meaning that which is brilliant or scintillating,
faience was thought to be filled with the undying
light of the sun, moon and stars and was
symbolic of rebirth. Ancient Egyptians believed
the small blue-green objects helped prepare
them for eternity in the afterlife.
The first examples of amulets appeared in
Ancient Egypt as early as 4000 B.C. Believed to
possess magical powers that protected the
wearer or bestowed upon the properties they
symbolized, amulets were worn both by the
living as well as the dead. Throughout their
evolution, talismans were crafted from a variety
of materials including precious metals such as
gold and silver, semiprecious stone like jasper
and carnelian, as well as other more affordable
glazed compositions such as faience. The
particular powers of an individual amulet were
based upon its specific shape, although the
material and even the color of the charm could
affect its magical abilities. While many of the
amulets created to be worn by the living could
also be worn after death, there also existed a
specific group of charms that were made
specifically to be placed upon the mummified
remains of the deceased. All together, amulets
represent an important class of Ancient Egyptian
art that furthers our understanding of their
complex religious beliefs.
The ibis was a sacred bird in Ancient Egyptian
mythology, most closely identified with the moon
god Thoth, the messanger of the sun god Ra,
who is often represented as an ibis-headed man
or as a baboon. The name “Thoth” is actually the
Greek term used to refer to this deity, whom the
Greeks closely identified with Hermes, their
messenger to the gods. Thoth, like Hermes, was
credited as the inventor of astronomy, writing,
and mathmatics. He presided over scribes and
knowledge, as has been described in ancient text
as a conciliator among the gods whose words
were able to bring order to the warring factions
of Egypt. In this charming amulet, Thoth is
represented as an ibis-headed man standing
with one leg forward upon a low rectangular
base with his arms clutched against his sides. It
is possible that this amulet was once worn by a
scribe who hoped to invoke the favor of this
powerful deity.
- (X.0324)
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