Bead
c. 1550 BC - c. 1077 BC
| Place of origin |
The wedjat eye, or ‘Eye of Horus’, represents the eye of the god Horus, which was believed to have been injured by his uncle Seth and subsequently healed. As such, it symbolised protection and wholeness, and was commonly used as an apotropaic symbol. The markings underneath the eye are based on those of a falcon, the animal associated with Horus and in whose form he was frequently depicted.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Glazed composition. |
| Brief description | Wedjat eye bead, blue glazed composition, Deir el-Bahari, Egypt, New Kingdom |
| Physical description | Blue-green glazed composition bead decorated in relief in the form of a wedjat eye, or Eye of Horus. The bead is pierced longitudinally for stringing to either a bracelet or necklace. |
| Dimensions |
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| Styles | |
| Credit line | Given by the Egypt Exploration Fund. |
| Object history | Found at Deir el-Bahari, 1903-4 excavation season. |
| Summary | The wedjat eye, or ‘Eye of Horus’, represents the eye of the god Horus, which was believed to have been injured by his uncle Seth and subsequently healed. As such, it symbolised protection and wholeness, and was commonly used as an apotropaic symbol. The markings underneath the eye are based on those of a falcon, the animal associated with Horus and in whose form he was frequently depicted. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 1214A-1904 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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