Amuletic Plaque with Nephthys
(Ancient Egypt and Nubia )
A trapezoidal shaped faience amulet in the form of a plaque with the raised relief image of the goddess Nephthys. The goddess kneels upon a low base and holds her right hand in front of her face in a gesture of mourning. She wears a long sheath gown and a tripartite wig. Her characteristic headdress is actually a hieroglyphic writing of her name: a "nb" basket on top of a "hwt" shrine/mansion. Her name means "Lady of the Mansion."
Numerous funerary amulets were usually placed among the many layers of linen strips used to wrap mummies. Specific amulets, along with their required position on the body, are listed in funerary texts such as "The Book of the Dead." Amulets were sometimes sewn directly onto the wrappings or could be incorporated into a bead net shroud covering the mummy. This amulet has been modeled with a flat underside and is pierced by tiny holes around the edges for attachment.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
Henry Walters, Baltimore [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
1984-1987 | Objects of Adornment: Five Thousand Years of Jewelry from the Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, New York; Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk; Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh; San Antonio Museum of Art, San Antonio; Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa; Honolulu Academy of Arts, Honolulu; New Orleans Museum of Art, New Orleans; Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee; Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis; Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo; The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota. |
1987 | Jewelry from the Walters Art Gallery and the Zucker Family Collection. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
1979-1980 | Jewelry - Ancient to Modern. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
Conservation
Date | Description | Narrative |
---|---|---|
11/20/1978 | Examination | examined for condition |
8/20/1998 | Examination | survey |
Geographies
Egypt (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 2 1/8 x W: 1 1/4 x D: 1/4 in. (5.5 x 3.3 x 0.7 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters
Location in Museum
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.
48.1636