Amulet of the God Horus as a Falcon
Late Period–Ptolemaic Period (664–30 BCE)
Medium
Faience
Dimensions
6.9 × 2.8 × 6.8 cm (2 3/4 × 1 1/8 × 2 5/8 in.)
Classification
amulet
Department
Arts of Africa
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
136322
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
This falcon, a representation of Horus, is finely detailed with the feathers and the scales on the legs. The falcon probably originally wore a double crown, which symbolized his rule over Northern and Southern Egypt.
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....