Cynocephalus Amulet

Unknown

ca. 1295–1070 B.C. · Red Jasper · Egyptian Art

The god Thoth was associated with two animals: the ibis and the baboon. Here, he is shown as a baboon squatting with its hands on its knees and wearing a crescent and a full moon on its head. As an amulet, it could have been worn, carried, or offered to a deity with the belief that it will magically bestow a particular power or form of protection during life or in the afterlife.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1295–1070 B.C.

Medium

Red Jasper

Department

Egyptian Art

Credit line

Gift of Helen Miller Gould, 1910