Amulet necklaces served to endow the wearer with powers and capabilities. The ancient Egyptians believed amulets of gods and goddesses in human and animal forms were imbued with magical powers to safeguard the wearer.1
These necklaces were restrung in modern times. The amulet necklace is composed of multicolored faience beads with figurines of the goddess Isis seated with her son Horus, the cat-goddess Bastet, and the divine Memphite triad of the god Ptah, his leonine goddess Sekhmet, and their son Nefertum wearing his lotus headdress. Amulets of the god of wisdom, Thoth, as a baboon, and the hippopotamus household goddess Taweret complete the necklace. A similar bead and amulet necklace was found in a private house near the King’s Palace at Malqata, dating to the reign of Amenhotep III.2 The other two necklaces are composed of ancient faience, glass, and stone beads.
MH
Bibliography
- Andrews 1994
- Andrews, Carol. 1994. Amulets of ancient Egypt. London: The British Museum Press.