Egyptian Glazed Taweret Amulet

$631.48

A striking turqoise glazed faience amulet of the Egyptian goddess Tawaret, also known as Theoris, the pregnant hippopotamus, standing on an oblong base. Her left leg is advanced, with her elongated arms resting either side of her sagging stomach. On top of her zoomorphic head sits the double crown of Egypt (Pschent), and down her back hangs the characteristic crocodile’s tail. There is a longitudinal piercing between the back of the head and crown for suspension.

Date: Circa 715 - 332 BC
Period: Late Dynastic Period
Condition: Excellent condition.

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SKU: M-49 Category: Tags: , ,

Thoeris (also known as Taweret) was an Egyptian deity who attended women in childbirth, and became a patron for pregnant women accordingly. She is often shown standing as a heavily pregnant hippopotamus with low hanging stomach. She was a household deity with no temple dedicated to her, but some form of shrine was in almost every house. Many women carried an amulet like this to assist them with labour and child rearing, but later, throughout the Amarna period, she gained importance as a funerary deity. This was because her powers were considered to be regenerative as well as protective. The longstanding importance of Thoeris/Taweret in daily life is evident from her continued presence on amulets throughout the Amarna period, and even after the establishment of Akhenaten’s henotheistic religion.

To find out more about Ancient Egyptian amulets please see our relevant blog post: Egyptian Amulets and their Meanings: Ancient Egyptian Gods.

Weight 3.05 g
Dimensions W 0.8 x H 4 cm
Culture

Faience

Egyptian Mythology

Region

Reference: For a similar item, The Metropolitan Museum, accession number 04.2.365.