Papyrus column with two cats

Object Details

Description: Eyelet at the top.
Label: Small amulets made of faience, stone, ceramic, metal, or glass were common personal possessions in ancient Egypt. They were most frequently fashioned in the form of gods and goddesses or of animals sacred to them. Amulets were believed to give their owners magical protection from a wide variety of ills and evil forces, including sickness, infertility, and death in childbirth. They were often provided with loops so they could be strung and worn as a necklace. Some amulets were made to place on the body of the deceased to protect the soul in the hereafter.
Provenance: To 1908; Ali Arabi Jr., Cairo, Egypt, to 1908 [1]; From 1908 to 1919; Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Ali Arabi Jr., in Cairo, in 1908 [2]; From 1920; Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]; Notes:; [1] See Original Pottery List, L. 1723, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.; [2] See note 1.; [3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.
Collection: Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Exhibition History: A Collector’s Eye: Freer in Egypt (January 28, 2023 to 2025); Charles Lang Freer and Egypt (June 13, 1998 to October 2, 2011)
Previous custodian or owner: Ali Arabi Jr. (C.L. Freer source); Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

On View: Freer Gallery 20: A Collector’s Eye: Freer in Egypt
Related Online Resources: Google Cultural Institute
See more items in: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

Topic: faience; cat; Ptolemaic Dynasty (305 - 30 BCE); Egypt; Ancient Egyptian Art; protection; Charles Lang Freer collection

GUID (Link to Original Record): http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ye364d30c0f-eff2-450c-8674-23e26d099647