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Amulet of a Heart

A work made of glass.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of glass.

Date:

New Kingdom, Dynasty 18 (about 1550–1295 BCE)

Artist:

Egyptian

About this artwork

Small-scale Egyptian figurines, known as amulets, were thought to promote health and good luck. Amulets were such an important part of Egyptian religious beliefs that they were worn by both the living and the dead. They could be mounted on rings or strung as bracelets or necklaces; and amulets in the shape of human organs were often placed in mummy wrappings near the organ they represented to ensure the well-being of the deceased in the afterlife.The human heart—the seat of the soul and memory in Egyptian belief—was represented as a jar with two small handles. Heart-shaped amulets protected the individual’s intellect and allowed the deceased to make his or her confession before the gods at the judgment of their soul.

Status

On View, Gallery 50

Department

Arts of Africa

Culture

Ancient Egyptian

Title

Amulet of a Heart

Place

Egypt (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Made 1550 BCE–1295 BCE

Medium

Glass

Dimensions

2.1 × 1.9 × 0.6 cm (7/8 × 3/4 × 1/4 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Henry H. Getty and Charles L. Hutchinson

Reference Number

1894.855

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/132068/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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