Jewelry Against Evil

Carnelian necklace. Tomb, Naga Ed-Der. Late Antique Egypt, circa 312–641 CE. 6-14306.

This necklace is made of a deep-red semi-precious gemstone and contains a variety of carved amulets. Some of these pieces are in the shape of the wedjat eye, a symbol of the healed eye of the Egyptian god, Horus. The wedjat eye combines a human eye and a falcon’s eye and symbolizes protection from evil as well as rebirth. Wedjat translates into “the one that is sound.” The varied shapes of the amulets of this necklace are united in their purpose: to protect the wearer from potential encounters with evil forces in her afterlife. Although this necklace was found in a late antique tomb, the individual pieces resemble amulets made in Egypt for hundreds of years prior. This could be a very old heirloom that came into the possession of someone living centuries after the necklace’s production, or possibly a mistake of the excavation record.

-Emma Kim

• View the next object
• Return to the main page of the exhibit
• Or follow one of the links below to continue.