Wadjet-eye Ring
1 of 2
Object Label
Rings
The earliest Egyptian rings were purely decorative, but later rings came to carry significance.
By the Eighteenth Dynasty of the New Kingdom, they were frequently inscribed with the name of a god, a king, or the owner. The most popular type was made of faience and bore the name of the reigning monarch. Archaeologists have discovered thousands of these simple, mold-made rings; they were probably distributed as mementos at religious or state celebrations. Other rings feature protective symbols, including the wedjat-eye. Wealthy members of Eighteenth Dynasty society often wore rings made of inlaid glass or semiprecious stones.
Caption
Wadjet-eye Ring, ca. 1352–1336 B.C.E.. Faience, 3/8 x Diam. 9/16 in. (0.9 x 1.5 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of the Egypt Exploration Society, 34.6050. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.34.6050_erg456.jpg)
Title
Wadjet-eye Ring
Date
ca. 1352–1336 B.C.E.
Dynasty
Dynasty 18
Period
New Kingdom, Amarna Period
Geography
Place excavated: Tell el-Amarna, Egypt
Medium
Faience
Classification
Dimensions
3/8 x Diam. 9/16 in. (0.9 x 1.5 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of the Egypt Exploration Society
Accession Number
34.6050
Rights
Creative Commons-BY
You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
Frequent Art Questions
Why is there an eyeball on jewelry?
That is what is known as a Wedjat-eye, which is worn as a protective symbol. Also sometimes referred to the Eye of Horus, they are symbols of the restoration of wholeness.
Have information?
Have information about an artwork? Contact us at