A light blue glazed faience composition amulet depicting the goddess Nut as a sow. The amulet is finely modelled, with clear and naturalistic detailing to the mane, legs and the snout, and is depicted with head towards the ground. Suspension loop to the top. Supplied with a small acrylic display block.
Ancient Egyptian Late Dynastic period: 7th-4th century B.C.
Condition: Complete and intact.
Length 17.5 mms (0.7 ins).
For similar see C. Andrews, 'Amulets of Ancient Egypt' (London 1994), p.35.
Provenance: Ex London gallery; previously in a 1930's Home Counties UK collection.
"The sky goddess whose arched body formed the vault of heaven gave birth to the sun each dawn and swallowed him each dusk; conversely, she bore the myriad stars each evening and gobbled them up each dawn. It is not surprising that, as mother of the stars, she should have taken the form of a great sow, for the female pig's habit of eating her own piglets must have been well known. Such amulets were intended to endow their wearer with fecundity".
(C.Andrews: Amulets of Ancient Egypt; 1994:35)