Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Lioness-Headed Goddess
(Ancient Egypt and Nubia )
Lioness goddesses were powerful deities. Most popular were Sakhmet and Wadjet, both closely related to the sun-god. Representations of lioness-headed goddesses should protect their owner or donor. This amulet displays a female goddess standing in a long dress. She has a lioness head and a long wig. The loop of the pendant is on top of her head. Identification of a specific goddess is difficult but it is likely that Wadjet is displayed because most other lioness-headed goddesses would have had an additional crown. Either such a specification was not necessary because the owner would have known which goddess was represented, or the amulet was meant to include all variations of lioness goddesses.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
Sheikh Ismael [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1930 [mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 7/23/1959 | Treatment | cleaned |
| 10/7/1974 | Treatment | cleaned |
| 8/3/1998 | Examination | examined for condition |
Geographies
Egypt (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H without mount: 2 1/4 x W: 5/8 x D: 5/16 in. (5.72 x 1.61 x 0.8 cm); Mount H: 5/8 in. (1.65 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters, 1930
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.
48.1560