Magic wand

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Wands such as this were a common feature in burials of the late Middle Kingdom. This one shows signs of wear on one tip, suggesting that it was used over a period of time before being placed in the tomb. The wand is decorated on one side with the figures of protective deities most of whom carry knives to ward off evil spirits. Some wands, like this one, and 30.8.218 are inscribed on the front with the words "protection by day" and "protection by night." Another wand in the collection (08.200.19) has a longer inscription on the back. The texts indicate that the wands were used to defend infants against malign forces, perhaps by scratching a circle in the earth around the area where they slept. Having provided defense against illness during life, after death the wands were placed in the tomb to ensure the continued protection of the deceased's spirit in its eternal afterlife.

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