Shen (Protection) Motto Clasp
Unknown Artist
ca. 1648–1540 B.C.
Medium
Gold, carnelian
Dimensions
h. 1.1 cm (7/16 in); w. 1.3 cm (1/2 in)
Classification
Clasp, Shen amulet
Period
Second Intermediate Period
Department
Egyptian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 1968
Accession Number
68.136.23
Art Historical Context
Step into the turbulent world of Egypt's Second Period with the *Shen (Protection) M Clasp*, a tiny treasure from Dynasty 15 (ca. 1648–1540 B.C.). Crafted by an unknown artist, this exquisite piece measures just 1.1 cm high and 1.3 cm wide, yet it packs profound cultural power. Likely used as a jewelry clasp or amulet, it embodies the Egyptian reverence for symbols that warded off evil and ensured eternal protection. Theshen" motif—a looped rope hieroglyph—signifies endlessness and divine safeguarding, often linked to the sun god Ra. Fashioned from gleaming gold and vibrant carnelian, a semip...