ATTRIBUTION: Ancient Egypt, 27th Dynasty, Xerxes I (?), 486-466 B.C.

SIZE: 50mm height, 10mm breadth, 15mm thickness; 75cm faience "mummybead" necklace (30 inches).

WEIGHT: 5.73 grams (amulet only).

CONDITION: Excellent, 90% faience glaze intact, exceptionally sharp detail preserved. Professionally conserved.

DETAIL: A 2,500 year old ancient Egyptian faience amulet depicting the God Nefertem, son of Sekhmet and Ptah. This is an intricate and marvelously detailed amulet depicting the god mid-stride, enrobed, bearded, it seems with a names head cloth, and certainly with a crown of lotus blossoms. This is a very detailed amulet, very much removed from the ordinary. It has survived the passage of almost twenty-five centuries without cosmetically or structurally significant chips, breaks, or cracks; the amulet is in truly magnificent condition. The detail is simply remarkable, very intricate and artful. The faience glaze is virtually entirely intact, but it is a bit on the olive side as it is showing through a layer of burial accretions which simply cannot be safely removed. So rather than bright green, the faience glaze is a little murky as it shows through the layer of brownish accretions. This exquisitely preserved amulet has been mounted onto a necklace of sequentially-strung, blue-green tubular faience "mummybeads. Tubular faience beads between 15 and 30 millimeters (3/4 - 1 1/4 inches) in length, and about 3 millimeters (1/8th inch) inch in diameter. The disk-shaped beads used as accent separators are considerably older, likely origin before 1,000 B.C. The necklace is 75cm (30 inches) in length; large enough to fit over anyone's head, and is designed to suspend the amulet mid-chest. It is quite an impressive combination, and can be worn with elegance and distinction.

CONSTRUCTION: Faience amulets were produced in ancient Egypt by crushing quartz mixed with copper, which was then made into a paste. The paste was then placed in a mold, and then fired. The quartz would fuse, and the copper would give the resulting product a color with blue and/or green hues, which was favored by the ancient Egyptians as the color of the Nile River. The quartz would "migrate" to the surface of the object, giving it a glassy finish. Given the passage of twenty-five centuries, it is not uncommon for such amulets to have entirely lost their glassy faience glaze. However a substantial percentage of such amulets will possess some remnants of the original turquoise colored glaze, beneath which will be seen the natural sandstone colored faience substrate. A few very fortunate specimens (a very small percentage) will even retain most of the original glaze. Collectors of such amulets look for three principal attributes. Those are in order of significance, a specimen of undiminished integrity (no cracks, chips, or substantial deterioration). Second, good detail in high relief and good definition. Third, the amount of faience glaze remaining intact. Also of significance to many collectors is the size of the specimen.

Commonly with respect to these particular amulets there will be some amount of faience glaze remaining. However often this will be mostly in the deeper recessed detail areas. Ordinarily the high points of the face, feet, crown, shoulders and arms will be mostly or entirely devoid of faience glaze. This will vary from one specimen to another of course, but from the frontal perspective there is generally the impression of fairly substantial faience glaze. The color of the faience common to this style of amulet varies widely from a pale lime green, through turquoise blue and green, and all the way through to such a dark khaki green that the appearance is of black faience. Generally the detail level present on this style of amulet will be fairly intricate. Typically the facial features and the details of the headdress are easily distinguishable and sharply defined.

Amulets such as these, even though assuredly ancient, were nonetheless "mass produced" for the populace at large. It is worth noting that the exceptional condition of an artifact often not only takes into account the state of preservation, but oftentimes can also be due to the superior workmanship and artistic qualities of the mold which produced this amulet. The detail and technique present in the finished amulet is a reflection of a skilled artisan of that distant past who left a living testament to his craftsmanship, which still speaks of his pride and abilities over twenty-five centuries later. Conversely, a poorly skilled artisan might produce an amulet which even today may easily be recognized as an inferior product, often not much more than a crudely shaped lump of material, poorly featured with coarse detail.

HISTORY: One of the greatest civilizations of recorded history was ancient Egypt. For a mere hundred dollars or thereabouts, you can possess a small part of that great civilization in the form of a 2,500 year old amulet. These magical talismans are amongst the most sought after and highly collectible artifacts from ancient Egypt. Religion was very important to the ancient Egyptians, and they worshipped many gods. These gods and goddesses often represented the natural world, such as the sky, earth, sun, or wind. The gods took the form of animals or animal/human figures. The ancient Egyptians wore amulets, small representations of these gods, as magical charms to ward off danger. They believed that these amulets, or talismans, would not only protect them in life, but in death as well, and would endow the individual wearing them with magical powers and capabilities.

While religious beliefs in ancient Egypt played a very important role in life, they played an even larger role in death. The ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead prescribed 104 different types of amulets be buried with the mummy in order to protect the deceased on his or her journey into the afterlife. Typically pinned to or wrapped within their burial shroud, it was not uncommon to find even thousands of amulets in the possession of the mummified remains of more prominent members of that ancient civilization. Typically when mummifying the deceased, there could be as many as 80 layers of linen, and it was not unusual to place at least one amulet representation of each of the more significant deities within each layer.

Amulets were made in many sizes and of many materials, including terracotta, wood, stone, bronze, silver, gold, occasionally precious gemstones, but most often of "faience". Faience was the forerunner of modern glass, and was manufactured by the Egyptians as far back as 4000 B.C. Faience is composed of ground quartz and sand together with a coloring agent. Although faience was made in many different colors, most often the coloring agent used was copper ore, which would impart a turquoise blue or turquoise green color. Made into a paste, the mixture of silica and coloring agent(s) it was pressed into molds, and then fired in an oven. When baked, the quartz would migrate as a glaze to the surface of the amulet within the mold. When the mold was opened, the amulet would have a smooth, glassy surface. If colored with copper ore, the resulting product would typically be a shade between deep cobalt blue and pale emerald or jade green. The manufacture of amulets and the application of the magic spells for the benefit of the deceased, were almost always overseen by Egyptian priests.

With respect to this particular form of amulet, Nefertem was an ancient sun-god of Lower Egypt, god of the sunrise who helped to bring the sun into the sky where Ra was. He was also important to various creation myths, including one particularly significant myth (Egyptian mythology possesses several versions of the origins of Earth and humans) where in a giant spectacular lotus emerges to float alone upon the primordial waters of Nun. On the day of creation, the lotus opens to reveal a beautiful male child nestled in the center. The baby boy's tears produce humanity. This baby, identified with Nefertem, ultimately matures into Re (Atum). When Nefertem is presented as an aspect of Re he is depicted as a baby. Due to this relationship, Nefertem was often called "the young Atum."

Outside his role as a creator god, Nefertum was consider to be the offspring of Ptah and Sekhmet. Sekhmet his mother and daughter of Re, was known principally as the ancient Egyptian god of vengeance, assigned to protect the Pharaoh from his enemies. She was depicted usually with the head of a lioness, and had a ferocious reputation. His father, Ptah, was also a creator god and was known as the patron god of architects and artisans. As befitting the son of such a leonine mother, Nefertem's primary affiliation, beyond flowers, is lions. Sometimes depicted with a lion's head, sometimes faience figurines depict him standing upon the back of a lion. When Imhotep, the master physician (and architect) was deified after death as a god of healing, he, too, would be installed as a son of Sekhmet and considered as Nefertem's younger brother. Unlike Imhotep, Nefertem as we shall see, healed through the power of flowers.

When Nefertem is an independent deity he is typically depicted as a beautiful, handsome young man wearing a cluster of lotus blooms on his head (as he is with this amulet). Nefertem's official role was patron of the cosmetic and healing arts derived from flowers. In such a manifestation, he is known (somewhat disparagingly) the God of Perfume (as is also Bastet). But this role was much more significant than it might at first blush appear to contemporary perception. Nefertum was a god of healing and a god intensely involved in the nation's overall spiritual rituals. The product of flowers, including fragrance and perfume, were not only beautiful but were also of spiritual and therapeutic potential. It is believed for instance that the lotus blossom, which Nefertem was so closely identified with, was used as a narcotic, both for its pain reliving properties as well as potential psychic or spiritual properties. Consider that the entire science of anesthesia derives from the narcotic properties of certain flowering plants. Indeed in one legend Nefertem offers a wounded and ailing Re a collection of sacred, beautiful lotuses for the purpose of easing his suffering. Nefertem had no formal cult or temple. His primary devotion seems to have been in the form of small statues of him carried by people, similar to modern saints medals.

Amulets from ancient Egypt were buried typically for between 2,500 and 3,000 years before being unearthed inside of tombs within the last century or two. Amulets typically are between one-half and two inches in size. Amulets were extremely important to the ancient Egyptians, a focal point of both their life and their belief in the hereafter. Amulets were oftentimes worn about the neck by the ancient Egyptians, typically on a beaded necklace. The beads were most often faience beads, in colors ranging from tan to pale jade green to cobalt blue. Though the material used to string the necklaces disappeared in the eons passed while buried within the tombs of Egypt, the beads themselves survived. Oftentimes these necklaces are restrung on modern filaments, and then offered as a matching set with an amulet which can be worn or displayed with pride.

SHIPPING: These antiquities come from a number of collections which by and large originated here in Eastern Europe. As well, additional specimens are occasionally acquired from other institutions and dealers, principally in Eastern Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean. All of these artifacts are now in the United States and are available for immediate delivery via U.S. Mail. All purchases are backed by an unlimited guarantee of satisfaction and authenticity. If for any reason you are not entirely satisfied with your purchase, you may return it for a complete and immediate refund of your entire purchase price. A certificate of authenticity (COA) is available upon request.

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