Amulet of Bes
Unknown Artist
1070–664 BC
Medium
Faience
Dimensions
h. 6 cm (2 3/8 in)
Classification
Amulet, Bes
Period
Third Intermediate Period
Department
Egyptian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
Accession Number
17.194.2232
Tags
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Egyptian collection, the *Alet of Bes* is a charming faience pendant from Egypt's Third Intermediate Period (0–664 BC). just 6 cm tall, this small glazed ceramic figure captures the grotesque yet protective visage of Bes, a popular household deity. Faience, with its vibrant turquoise hues achieved through a silica-based glaze fired at high temperatures, was prized in ancient Egypt for its and jewel-like sheen, making it ideal for protective talismans worn daily. Bes, depicted with a leonine mane, protruding tongue, and squat, muscular form, embodied...