Ba Amulet
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Object Label
Ba is the Egyptian concept closest to what is meant by the English word "soul." Its composite human-and-bird form symbolizes its ability to travel to different realms. This extremely fine amulet may date to the Ptolemaic Period, but various types of gold amulets inlaid with colored stones are known from burials of Dynasties XXVI through XXX (orca 664–342 B.C.)
Caption
Ba Amulet, 305–30 B.C.E.. Gold, lapis lazuli, turquoise, steatite, 1 1/4 x 2 11/16 x 3/8 in. (3.1 x 6.8 x 0.9 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 37.804E. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 37.804E.jpg)
Gallery
Not on view
Gallery
Not on view
Title
Ba Amulet
Date
305–30 B.C.E.
Period
Ptolemaic Period
Geography
Reportedly from: Saqqara, Egypt
Medium
Gold, lapis lazuli, turquoise, steatite
Classification
Dimensions
1 1/4 x 2 11/16 x 3/8 in. (3.1 x 6.8 x 0.9 cm)
Credit Line
Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
Accession Number
37.804E
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
What kind of wings are these and what do they symbolize?
These wings are based on that of a larger predatory bird, likely a vulture or a falcon. This particular object represents a person's ba, part of their soul. The small gold head is meant the be that of the person.The vulture, in ancient Egypt was associated with protection, especially maternal protection and several goddesses. The falcon was associated with several prominent gods, like Horus and Re.
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