An Egyptian Faience Bead and Amulet Necklace, 18th Dynasty, ca. 1550 - 1295 BCE

This glazed composition necklace is strung with baboon amulets interspersed with representations of fruit, and parts of plants that might also have amuletic significance. Characteristic of the Eighteenth Dynasty, they are made of flat-backed  glazed composition with a suspension loop at the top.  All growing plants were inherently symbolic of new life, but some flowers also open each morning, reconfirming the idea of resurrection.  Baboons were closely connected with the rising sun, whose approach they were believed to anticipate by their cries and upright posture.

Condition:  Reconstructed as a necklace, all components are intact and in excellent condition overall.

Dimensions:   Length: 18 inches (45.7 cm)

Provenance:   Ex. Harmakhis Gallery, Brussels from an old Belgium collection (part) and private collection of Egyptologist Geoffrey Metz, Sweden, acquired in the 1990s.