Uraeus
Unknown Artist
945–712 BC
Medium
Gold, electrum
Dimensions
as mounted: L. 29.5 (11 5/8 in.); W. 6.1 cm (2 3/8 in.); Th. 1.0 cm (3/8 in.)
Classification
Headdress attachment, Uraeus
Period
Third Intermediate Period
Department
Egyptian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 1950
Accession Number
50.198.3
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold the *Uraeus*, a ancient Egyptian artifact from the Third Period (Dynasty , ca. 945–712 BC). Crafted from gleaming gold and electrum—alloys prized for their luster and rarity—this serpent-shaped ornament measures about 11⅝ inches long. Likely part of royal regalia, such as a diadem or brow ornament, it embodies the sacred cobra emblem worn by pharaohs on their crowns. In Egyptian cosmology, the uraeus represented divine protection and sovereignty, channeling the fierce power of the goddess Wadjet to ward off enemies and affirm the ruler's godlike authority. During Dynasty 22, a era of L...