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Amulet of a Leg and Foot

A work made of carnelian.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of carnelian.

Date:

Late Old Kingdom–First Intermediate Period, Dynasty 5–11 (about 2494–2055 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 were placed among the mummy wrappings to secure the deceased’s rebirth and well-being in the afterlife. Many varieties of amulets survive, including figures of deities, parts of the human (ordivine) body, animals, plants, and objects of daily life. The leg and foot were thought to provide the deceased with mobility in the afterlife. Multiple examples of these types of amulets have been found on the ankles of mummies.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Arts of Africa

Culture

Ancient Egyptian

Title

Amulet of a Leg and Foot

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 2494 BCE–2055 BCE

Medium

Carnelian

Dimensions

2 × 1 × 0.3 cm (3/4 × 3/8 × 1/8 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Henry H. Getty and Charles L. Hutchinson

Reference Number

1894.861

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/140824/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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