This facience amulet depicting a Ram is fitted in a later golden fitting.
Small-scale Egyptian figurines, known as amulets, were thought to promote health and good luck. Amulets were an important part of Egyptian religious beliefs and were therefore worn by both the living and the dead. They could be mounted on rings or strung as bracelets or necklaces, and were also placed among the mummy wrappings to secure the deceased’s well-being in the afterlife. Many varieties of amulets survive, including figures of deities, animals, plants and objects of daily life.
This tiny ram is made from facience, a type of ceramic, and symbolizes virility and power. The meaning of the amulet was also a pun: the words “ram” and “soul” were the same in ancient Egyptian, and so by extension, the amulet gave power to the soul of the deceased.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Size: 20 x 28 x 11 mm, excluding the bale and jump ring.
Weight: 7.00 grams.
Age: The mounting is vintage, circa 1960s: the design of the Ram amulet is typical for the late Ptolemaic period (700 -30 BCE) but because ancient Egyptian artifacts are not my expertise, I am tentative in assigning a date to this amulet.
Material: The gold mounting is acid tested as 14k gold. It carries the city hallmark for Alexandria, which has been used since the 19th Century and up to the present day.
Condition: In good antique condition with only minor wear, consistent with its age.
Please note that the antique box is for display purposes.