Egyptian, A necklace of Egyptian faience udjat eye beads, New Kingdom, Amarna Period, circa 1350 BC

Egyptian

A necklace of Egyptian faience udjat eye beads, New Kingdom, Amarna Period, circa 1350 BC

Faience, gold

Length: 22.6 cm
Length of each amulet: 1 cm

Further images

The restrung necklace is composed of fourteen cobalt blue faience openwork udjat eye beads, interspersed with sheet gold tubular beads.

Provenance

With Byron Zoumboulakis, Geneva, 1970s

With Galerie Nefer, Zurich, 1978
Private Collection, Aarau, thence by descent
Private Collection, Switzerland

Exhibitions

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

Literature

Udjat eye amulets represent the eye of Horus and are the best-known of all Egyptian protective amulets. Its forms and material are many and varied. If one udjat provided protection, multiple would provide even more; this group is clearly a specially commissioned set of finely moulded and elegant udjats in the dark blue glaze so distinctive of Amarna amulets. For further discussion and examples of udjat eyes see C. Andrews, Amulets of Ancient Egypt, London, 1994, pp. 43-4; W.M.F. Petrie, Amulets, London, 1914, pl. XXV.

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Important Egyptian Jewellery

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