Necklace with the head of the Egyptian god Bes
Not on view
This gold necklace features an image of the Egyptian god Bes, who faces the viewer directly. Bes has a shaggy beard, wide nose, thick eyebrows, a wrinkled forehead and hemispherical ears. His eyes and eyebrows were originally inlaid. He wears a tall, feathered crown. Most of the necklace is comprised of gold plaques with images of walking horses accompanied by attendants. Several of these plaques have gold bosses with granulated borders and gold disks hanging off them. The two ends of the clasp of the necklace are in the form of lotus blossoms.
Images of Bes were very popular in the Achaemenid Empire, for unknown reasons. They appear on a wide variety of material, including coins, seals, jewelry, bronze and ceramic vessels, and even on a gold model chariot. In Egyptian thought Bes played a protective role, and it is possible that this function was ascribed to him by the Persians as well. Regardless, Egypt was an important part of the Achaemenid Empire, and many aspects of Egyptian material culture were appropriated by the Persians.
The attendants leading horses are likely a reference to the importance of horsemanship in Achaemenid ideology. Similar horses are depicted at Persepolis, and in various royal inscriptions the Persian king extols his prowess as a rider.
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