Headrest amulet
Late Period
This miniature headrest–less than one inch long–is an amulet. Full-size headrests supported the neck of a sleeping person and were often decorated with protective symbols; examples were also placed in the tomb. Headrest amulets were exclusively used as funerary amulets. In addition to their protective function, further meaning derived from the formal resemblance between the round head on the curved headrest and the sun rising between two hills, a powerful symbol of resurrection and rebirth for the ancient Egyptians. Headrest amulets were meant to protect the head of the deceased and to reinsure his or her rebirth.
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