These ram’s heads were meant to remind the wearer of Amun, "the king of the gods." The god was believed to manifest himself in certain animal forms, particularly the ram. Amun was an Egyptian god, but he was also worshipped by the Nubians, Egypt’s neighbors to the south. These three pieces come from the twenty-fifth dynasty. At that time, Egypt was ruled by Nubian kings, from the land of Kush, a kingdom that controlled the northern half of modern Sudan. Their ancestors had been exposed to Egyptian culture for many centuries, and in time, they had come to worship many of the same gods as the Egyptians.

The large gold head probably formed part of a necklace belonging to one of the Kushite kings. Though it is small, the level of detail is extraordinary. Notice the ram’s ribbed horns, and the fine hairs of the ears, and the serpent on the head. The faience head—probably an amulet—is also highly detailed and has the pale blue-green color characteristic of much of the faience of this period.