Amulet

This amulet made of greenish blue glazed steatite has been carved into the face of the ancient sky and fertility goddess Hathor, represented as a woman with cow ears. The goddess was believed to protect both the living, and the dead as they embarked on their voyage to the afterlife. The obverse of the amulet is divided in the middle by a double line ending in twists reminiscent of a lotus flower, and both halves are carved with a wedjat eye. According to the myth, the eye of the god Horus was injured when he fought the god Seth for the throne of Egypt. The eye, which was torn out in the heat of battle, was healed by Thoth, the god of wisdom, writing and medicine, so that Horus could emerge victorious. The wounded but later successfully healed eye of the god Horus embodies health, and a promise of healing from illness for the wearer of the amulet. The piercing through the longitudinal axis of the amulet suggests that it was originally worn on a chain or set in a ring, and could protect the body of its owner during their lifetime or help them on their journey through the netherworld.