Ram's Head Amulet
Brooklyn Museum photograph
Object Label
This type of amulet, a symbol of the god Amun, originated with the Kushite kings who ruled Egypt as Dynasty XXV. Their foreheads, like this ram's head, were often adorned with two cobras rather than the single cobra common on the heads of Egyptian kings. An exceptionally fine carving in hard stone, this amulet has links between the horns and head that may reflect a metal prototype.
Caption
Egyptian; Nubian. Ram's Head Amulet, ca. 775–653 B.C.E. or later. Jasper, 1 9/16 x 1 1/8 in. (3.9 x 2.9 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 54.198. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.54.198_wwg8.jpg)
Title
Ram's Head Amulet
Date
ca. 775–653 B.C.E. or later
Dynasty
Dynasty 25
Period
Third Intermediate Period
Geography
Reportedly from: Memphis, Egypt, Place found: Mitrahina, Egypt
Medium
Jasper
Classification
Dimensions
1 9/16 x 1 1/8 in. (3.9 x 2.9 cm)
Credit Line
Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
Accession Number
54.198
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
This is cool!
This beautiful amulet dates to the Kushite period when the double-uraeus was popular. The ram is a symbol of the god Amun who was popular with the Kushites as well.What's this for?
This amulet was likely worn as a necklace. The ram is associated with the god Amun, a creation deity from ancient Egypt who was also popular in Nubia. The two cobras on this amulet indicate that it was made when Nubian kings ruled Egypt.I just love the natural colors of the stone. It's really striking.Tell me more.
This amulet is so beautiful! It is in the form of a ram, which is an animal associated with the god Amun. We can tell that it dates to a specific time period, the Kushite period, based on the double uraeus on the ram's forehead.What was the significance of the cobra head in ancient Egypt?
The cobra on the headdress like this is known as a uraeus and was seen as a protective element, especially for royalty. Those wielding it have symbolically harnessed the dangerous power of the animal for their own benefit! It was also a symbol of protective goddesses like Wadjet.
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