ANCIENT EGYPT. LAPIS LAZULI HEART AMULET . NEW KINGDOM. 1250 B.C
An exquisitely carved heart amulet (ib), shaped from deep cobalt-speckled lapis lazuli, a gemstone deeply revered by the ancient Egyptians. The amulet is domed and anatomical in form, pierced laterally for likely to rest over the chest or be sewn into the linen wrappings of a mummy.
In Egyptian belief, the heart was the seat of the soul, memory, and moral conscience. During the Weighing of the Heart ceremony, it was weighed against the feather of Ma’at to determine the worthiness of the deceased. Amulets like this one were placed to ensure that the heart would not testify falsely or betray the soul in the afterlife.
Lapis lazuli, imported at great expense from Afghanistan, was thought to carry protective divine power and was often reserved for elite burials. Its deep ultramarine hue evoked the heavens, night sky, and the divine essence of the gods.
DIMENSIONS:
18 x 13 MM
CONDITION:
NO REPAIRS. NO RESTORATION! ONE WING BROKEN
