Partial Shu Amulet
Depicted here is Shu, the god of the air, with his arms raised up in a right angle and palms facing the viewer. His beard is braided and he wears a long wig with a uraeus at his forehead. Preserved is only the top part of his body, but from similar pieces we know that he must have been kneeling. This position together with his raised arms show him as the carrier of the sky. During creation Shu separated the earth and sky by lifting up the latter. A sun disk is on his head, which alludes to the sky and the god’s role in the creation of the world. A small loop on the back of the head indicates that this figurine functioned as a pendant.
Artwork Details
- Title: Partial Shu Amulet
- Period: Late Period
- Date: ca. 664–332 B.C.
- Geography: From Egypt
- Medium: Faience
- Dimensions: H. 3.3 × W. 3.3 × D. 1.7 cm (1 5/16 × 1 5/16 × 11/16 in.)
- Credit Line: Bequest of Nanette B. Kelekian, 2020
- Object Number: 2021.41.38
- Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art
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664–525 BCE
ca. 872–664 BCE
360–343 BCE
4th century B.C.
200–30 B.C.
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