Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Lionness-headed Menat
This amulet represents a "menat," a counterweight often made of metal worn on the back to keep large necklaces in place. "Menats" were regarded not only as jewelry but also as ritual objects sacred to the goddess Hathor, who was called, among many other titles, "Mistress of the Counterweight." This small-scale "menat" amulet shows the lion-headed goddess Sakhmet - closely associated with Hathor - wearing the sun disk and a broad collar. Below appears an "udjat," the eye of Horus, between two rearing cobras. The disk at the bottom depicts another pair of snakes spreading large protective wings around a seated deity in the middle.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Dikran Kelekian, New York and Paris [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1927 [mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
| 2010 | Bedazzled: 5,000 Years of Jewelry. El Paso Museum of Art, El Paso. |
| 2006-2009 | Bedazzled: 5,000 Years of Jewelry from the Walters Art Museum. Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Nashville; The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota; The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. |
| 2003-2004 | Faience: The Colors of the Heavens. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore; The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. |
| 1979-1980 | Jewelry - Ancient to Modern. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 5/28/1962 | Treatment | cleaned |
| 6/8/1962 | Treatment | repaired |
| 4/20/1977 | Treatment | cleaned; repaired; stabilized |
| 9/1/1998 | Examination | examined for condition |
| 4/30/2003 | Treatment | cleaned |
| 4/12/2006 | Treatment | cleaned |
Geographies
Egypt (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 3 1/2 x W: 1 1/4 x D: 3/16 in. (8.9 x 3.15 x 0.48 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
48.1626