ANCIENT EGYPT. LATE DYNASTY FAIENCE AMULET OF POTAIKOS. 600-300 B.C

ANCIENT EGYPT. LATE DYNASTY FAIENCE AMULET OF POTAIKOS. 600-300 B.C

charming amuletic figure in blue faience depicts, Potaikos, the dwarf-like protective deity associated with fertility, healing, and household magic. The figure sits squatly with exaggerated limbs and a cap-like headdress, his features rendered in bold, almost caricatured style. The back includes a suspension hole, indicating its original use as a personal protective amulet. Figures of this type are deeply rooted in both Egyptian and Near Eastern apotropaic traditions, frequently conflated with or inspired by Bes, but Potaikos represent a distinct form often characterized by a blend of playful and divine iconography. Like Bes, Potaikos was meant to ward off evil spirits, protect children, and ensure fertility. He may have stood watch over beds, childbirth chambers, or domestic altars. His childlike proportions and mischievous expression lend the figure both sacred and familiar qualities, simultaneously divine protector and domestic guardian.