Egyptian Lapis Wedjat Eye pendant, Late Period, ca. 664 - 332 BCE
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Without doubt, the best-known of all protective amulets is the wedjat, literally 'the sound one', referring to the eye of the falcon-headed Horus after it had been plucked out during one of his interminable battles with Seth and then healed by Thoth. This Horus was the celestial falcon and great creator god whose right eye was the sun and left eye the moon. It is generally supposed that the wedjat was the moon eye, which was 'injured' as it waned and 'restored' as it waxed each month, but the term might just as well apply to the sun eye, the 'sound ' one as opposed to the 'injured' one.
When Osiris rose to pre-eminence as the god of the dead, the wedjat became identified with the eye of his son Horus. According to the Osiris myth, Horus offered the healed eye to his dead father, and so powerful a charm was it that it restored him to life. The wedjat is probably found on mummies in greater numbers than on any other amulet, but it was also worn in life. This finely rendered example is carved from deep blue lapis lazuli, connecting the amulet's protective powers with energy, dynamism, and power.
Bibliography: Andrews, Carol, 1994. Amulets of Ancient Egypt. Austin: University of Texas. p. 43-4.
Medium: Lapis Lazuli
Dimensions: Width: 1/4 inch (63 mm), strung as a pedant on an adjustable 18-inch chain of 18K yellow gold.
Condition: The amulet is intact and in good condition. It has been strung as a pendant on a modern 18K yellow gold chain suitable for wearing.
Provenance: Private Maryland collection of a diplomat, acquired while serving in Egypt between 1949 and 1956, and then by descent.
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