Egyptian
Small Feldspar Falcon Pendant, Egyptian, Middle Kingdom, circa 2030-1650
Feldspar and gold
Length of pendant: 1 cm (not including modern gold loop)
Length of chain: 16cm
Length of chain: 16cm
An ancient Egyptian feldspar falcon amulet, circa 2030-1650 BC, suspended from a modern 18 carat gold loop and chain. The amulet is carved in the form of a standing falcon.
An ancient Egyptian feldspar falcon amulet, circa 2030-1650 BC, suspended from a modern 18 carat gold loop and chain. The amulet is carved in the form of a standing falcon.
Provenance
Private collection, 1980sWith Galerie Nefer, Zurich, acquired in the 1990s
Private collection, Aarau, Switzerland, until 2015, thence by descent
Private collection, Switzerland, acquired in 2018
Exhibitions
On Loan: Antikenmuseum Basel & Sammlung Ludwig, 1998 – 2022Literature
Egyptian amulets were believed to possess positive properties that could be magically bestowed upon the owner. This magical power could be derived from several elements of the amulet: the material, colour, shape, decoration, and the object that the amulet was intended to represent. Amulets could be worn with other pieces of jewellery or sewn into clothes.In ancient Egypt, falcons were most often associated with the sky god Horus, the son of Osiris and Isis. He was a deity associated with the sky but, more importantly, represented the embodiment of divine kingship, making him the protector of the reigning pharaoh.
Such amulets were made from many different precious and semi-precious materials, and were believed to channel the magical powers of Horus, protecting and healing the wearer. The choice of material was of symbolic significance also, and certain stones had particular functions; feldspar for example symbolised vegetation and fertility. The stone, mined in the Libyan desert, was a prized and popular material used to make jewellery and amulets in ancient Egypt.