Egyptian, A necklace of Egyptian Bes amulets, Middle Kingdom to Late Period, circa 2000 - 32 BC

Egyptian

A necklace of Egyptian Bes amulets, Middle Kingdom to Late Period, circa 2000 - 32 BC

Hardstone, glass, gold

Length: 29.5 cm
Maximum height of amulets: 1.8 cm

Further images

The restrung necklace is composed of seventeen Bes amulets including some of carnelian, jasper, olivine (?), glass and faience, interspersed with gold coloured and carnelian beads.

Provenance

With Beaux Arts Trades, Hong Kong, 1991

With Gallery Babylon, Gibraltar
With Galerie Nefer, Zurich, before 1998
Private Collection, Aarau, thence by descent
Private Collection, Switzerland

Exhibitions

On Loan: Antikenmuseum Basel & Sammlung Ludwig, 1998 – 2022

Literature

Bes was a protective household deity, depicted as a diminutive bandy-legged figure featuring a lion's mane, ears, and tail, and often wearing a plumed headdress. He averted evil with music, knives, or the sa sign as he watched over the occupants of the house. He was particularly protective of women and children, and thus, the Bes image was a popular amulet. See C. Andrews, Amulets of Ancient Egypt, London, 1994, pp. 39-40.

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Important Egyptian Jewellery

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