Small Figure of Kneeling, Aged Man as Amulet
1 of 2
Caption
Small Figure of Kneeling, Aged Man as Amulet, 30 B.C.E.–395 C.E.. Faience, 9/16 x 1 in. (1.5 x 2.6 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Evangeline Wilbour Blashfield, Theodora Wilbour, and Victor Wilbour honoring the wishes of their mother, Charlotte Beebe Wilbour, as a memorial to their father Charles Edwin Wilbour, 16.580.18. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 16.580.18_PS4.jpg)
Gallery
Not on view
Gallery
Not on view
Title
Small Figure of Kneeling, Aged Man as Amulet
Date
30 B.C.E.–395 C.E.
Period
Roman Period
Medium
Faience
Classification
Dimensions
9/16 x 1 in. (1.5 x 2.6 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Evangeline Wilbour Blashfield, Theodora Wilbour, and Victor Wilbour honoring the wishes of their mother, Charlotte Beebe Wilbour, as a memorial to their father Charles Edwin Wilbour
Accession Number
16.580.18
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
Were ithyphallic amulets significant symbols in death only or were they used generally in fashion/religion/etc.?
It varied throughout Egyptian history. For example, when the Roman Empire made its way into Egypt, it brought with it the idea that phallic imagery could ward off evil, and therefore was used in a household setting.The figure of Bes, the ancient Egyptian protector of households, similarly was shown with an alarmingly large phallus to ward off demons and those who might hurt the family.
Have information?
Have information about an artwork? Contact us at
