Amulet showing Anubis standing over mummy on bier

Art Historical Context

This delicate glass amulet from Egypt's Ptolemaic Period332–30 B.C.) captures a poignant funerary scene: the jackal-headed god Anubis stands protectively over a mummy laid out on a bier. Measuring just 2.7 x 2.6 cm, this tiny artifact—now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Egyptian Art collection—was likely placed on a mummy or worn as a protective talisman to safeguard the deceased in the afterlife. Anub, the ancient Egyptian god of embalming the underworld, played a central role in mummification rituals, guiding souls through the perilous Duat. Amulets like this invoked his power to ensure...