A finely glazed pale blue faience depicting the god Bes, wearing a feathered crown, standing on a slender rectangular base; with piercing for suspension through the headdress. Supplied with a modern acrylic display base.
Late Dynastic-Ptolemaic period: Circa 6th-1st century B.C.
Condition: Very Fine; complete and intact; a few light accretions.
Height 3.9 cms (1.5 ins).
Provenance: From a private collection acquired by the previous owner's father in the 1950's.
Reference: See Carol Andrews' Amulets of Ancient Egypt (London 1994) no. 37d for several examples of the type.
Although he had no temples, Bes enjoyed enormous popularity in Egypt and beyond. His image decorated countless decorative art objects with which the body routinely came into contact, such as beds and head-ests. The Bes amulet was very popular with women in Egyptian times, worn as an amulet of good luck to keep them safe in childbirth.