Now with gold bail. Taweret. Original ancient Egyptian talisman, 664-343 B.C.
Update: Now with added 14K gold bails to accommodate larger chains.
An Egyptian agate Taweret amulet, Late Period, Dynasty XXVI–XXX, 664–343 B.C.
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This is an original ancient Egyptian amulet, carved more than 2,300 years ago during Egypt’s Late Period, circa 664–343 B.C. It depicts Taweret, “the Great One,” one of ancient Egypt’s most enduring protective deities.
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More than 2,300 years ago, this little Taweret was crabed to carry protection close to the body, a tiny but powerful guardian of life.
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Acquired from a trusted and established European antiquities dealer.
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Height 30mm
3.10 grams
Added large 14K bail
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Taweret was above all a guardian of life at its most vulnerable. She protected women through pregnancy and childbirth and watched over newborn infants in the fragile period following birth. By the Late Period, when this amulet was made, her role had expanded beyond the birth chamber into broader personal protection. Her amulets were worn in life and also placed with the dead.
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Her extraordinary appearance embodies that fierce protection. Taweret combines the body of a pregnant hippopotamus, the limbs and paws of a lion, the tail of a crocodile and human breasts, bringing together animals understood in Egyptian thought as fiercely protective mothers.
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This 3 cm example is particularly special for being carved from warm orange-red agate. Most surviving Taweret amulets are made from faience, while hardstone examples, and agate in particular, are less common and required considerably more labour to produce. The choice of agate suggests that this was a higher-status personal amulet, made for someone with access to more prestigious and labour-intensive materials than the commonly used faience.
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Taweret stands upright on human-like hind legs, her hippopotamus head turned slightly to the right with parted jaws. Her swollen belly is clearly defined, her forelimbs held close to her chest, with carved striations along her back and flanks.
A pierced suspension loop rises from her head, showing that this was a deeply personal object intended to be worn against the body. Even the colour of the stone carried meaning. Red stones were associated with vitality, blood and the solar disc, qualities especially appropriate to an amulet concerned with the protection of life. From the seller: We use connoisseurship, or expert attribution judgment. We use scientific analysis to ensure that the materials known to have been available and used during the time period. We validate the ownership history (provenance) and review each item before accepting it to ensure it is authentic and correctly cataloged. We are reviewing past ownership records, receipts, and the paper trail of where the object came from before offering it for sale. Provenance on both pieces: In a British Collection from 1995 to the present.