Amulet of Sekhmet
Third Intermediate Period (about 1069–664 BCE)
Medium
Faience
Dimensions
5.7 × 1.8 × 3.5 cm (2 1/4 × 3/4 × 1 7/16 in.)
Classification
amulet
Department
Arts of Africa
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
135831
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The lioness Sekhmet and the cat Bastet were regarded as being the wild and tame aspects, respectively, of the same unpredictable goddess. Bastet is shown seated, holding her rattle (sistrum) that made music that calmed Sekhmet, transforming her into a gentle cat.
About the Artist
Ancient Egyptian
Ancient Egyptian artists, a collective of highly skilled artisans spanning over three millennia from the Predynastic period (c. 6000–3150 BC) to the Roman era (30 BC–4th century AD), produced some of humanity's most enduring masterpieces. These anonymous craftsmen, often organized in state-sponsored workshops, lived in dedicated communities like Deir el-Medina near Luxor during the New Kingdom (c....