Amulet: lion and bull back to back
Unknown Artist
522–343 B.C.
Medium
Lapis lazuli
Dimensions
L.1.5 cm (9/16 in.)
Classification
Amulet, lions back to back
Period
Late Period
Department
Egyptian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Mary Anna Palmer Draper, 1915
Accession Number
15.43.50
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite lapis lazuli am, measuring just 1.5 cm long, depicts a lion and bull standing back to back, crafted during Egypt's Late Period (522343 B.C.). Carved from the vibrant blue stone prized since ancient times and sourced from distant Afghanistan, the amulet showcases masterful stoneworking techniques. Artisans hollowed and polished the hard lapis to capture fine details in the animals' muscular forms and alert postures, a testament to the precision of Egyptian lapidaries despite the object's diminutive scale. In ancient Egyptian culture, amulets like this served as potent talismans,...