Apotropaic rod

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Composed of four joining segments, this so-called magic rod is the only completely preserved example of its type. Perhaps related to the four "birthing bricks" arranged for the protection of mother and child during delivery, the rod was used to ward off harmful spirits. Some of the protective motifs—feline predators, crocodiles, toads, a turtle, wedjat eyes, and baboons with flaming torches—were also depicted on apotropaic wands and feeding cups, objects with the same defensive function.

Egyptian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met collection of ancient Egyptian art consists of approximately 30,000 objects of artistic, historical, and cultural importance, dating from about 300,000 BCE to the 4th century CE. A signifcant percentage of the collection is derived from the Museum's three decades of archaeological work in Egypt, initiated in 1906 in response to increasing interest in the culture of ancient Egypt.

Metropolitan Museum of Art