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Headrest amulet
Egyptian
Late Period or Greco-Roman Period
305–200 B.C.
Medium/Technique
Hematite
Dimensions
Height x width x length: 2 x 1.1 x 3 cm (13/16 x 7/16 x 1 3/16 in.)
Credit Line
John Michael Rodocanachi Fund
Accession Number1976.128
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsJewelry, Ancient Egypt, Nubia and the Near East
ClassificationsJewelry / Adornment – Amulets
DescriptionThis amulet of polished stone represents a headrest. Such amulets were common in Late Period burials, where their magic was intended to lift the head of the deceased at the moment of resurrection. This example is inscribed with the headrest spell from the Book of the Dead (Chapter 166) for the benefit of the Overseer of the Granary, Penu. The inscription covers the cushion, the pillar, the front of the base and the base itself.
ProvenanceBy 1897: F.G. Hilton Price collection, London (A Catalogue of the Egyptian Antiquities in the possession of F.G. Hilton Price, London: Bernard Quartich, 1897); by 1976: with Charles D. Kelekian, New York; purchased by the MFA from Charles D.Kelekian April 14, 1976