ClassificationsAncient Egyptian Art

Amulet of a Royal Child

(not assigned)Egypt

CultureEgyptian

PeriodNew Kingdom, Dynasty 18, Reign of Akhenaten

Date1353-1336 BCE

MediumFaience

Credit LineGift of the Docent Guild in honor of Julie Taylor Green and Elizabeth Hornor

Dimensions5/8 x 1 1/4 in. (1.6 x 3.2 cm)

Object number2004.045.001

Label TextThe lavish reign of Amenhotep III (1390-1353 BC) is reflected in the sumptuous products of his court artisans. Radical artistic and religious changes mark the reign of his son and successor, the "heretic" pharaoh Akhenaten (1353-1336 BC) and his queen, Nefertiti, who established a new capital at the site of Tell el-Amarna. During the Amarna Period, the cult of the royal family grew, in part to replace the other deities that had been proscribed. The king was now the intermediary between the sun god, Aten, and the worshipping Egyptians. Even images of the royal children could embody such concepts as fertility and rebirth. Following this turbulent period, Tutankhamun (1333-1324 BC) and his successors, Ay and Horemheb, returned the court to Thebes and reinstated the worship of the traditional pantheon.

Exhibition HistoryMCCM Permanent Collection Reinstallation, 2006 - Present

ProvenanceExported from France, November 30, 2000. Purchased by MCCM from private collection, United States.

Status

On view

Collections