Mold for a Ring Bezel with an Ankh Hieroglyph

Art Historical Context

This small pottery mold, created during Egypt’s New Kingdom around 1390–1352 B.C., was a practical tool used by artisans to shape ring bezels featuring the ankh hieroglyph. At just under centimeters tall, the object the intimate scale of ancient Egyptian jewelry production. The ankh, instantly recognizable as the looped cross symbolizing life, was one of the most potent emblems in Egyptian culture, frequently worn as an amulet to invoke vitality and protection. Belonging to Dynasty 18, a period of artistic refinement and expanding trade, such molds highlight how workshops efficiently produced...