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Details
LOT 0442
Egyptian Hardstone Menat Amulet Group
PTOLEMAIC PERIOD, 332-30 B.C.
3/4 - 7/8 in. (5.38 grams total, 20-22 mm).
Lapis lazuli, carnelian, and schist (?) menat amulets, each with a distinctive keyhole shape and broad ribbed bale. [3, No Reserve]
Provenance
From a private collection acquired by the previous owner's father in the 1950s.
Ex TimesAncient, Bristol, UK.
Accompanied by a copy of a previous catalogue entry.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.
Literature
Cf. Reisner, G.A., Catalogue général des antiquités égyptiennes du Musée du Caire, Nos.12528-13595, Vol. II, Amulets, Cairo, 1958, pls. V and XXIV, nos. 12701 and 12694, for type.
Footnotes
The menat was a counterpoise that hung at the back of a heavy ornamental collar and was closely associated with the goddess Hathor. Amulets representing the counterpoise were thought to bring good luck, protect against evil spirits, and safeguard the wearer in the afterlife. Their Hathoric connection symbolised fertility and good health for women while representing virility for men.
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