Apotropaic Wand

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Wands such as this were a common feature in burials of the late Middle Kingdom. They were usually carved out of hippopotamus ivory and still retain the shape of a hippopotamus tusk-line canine. These teeth are a hippo's most powerful weapon and make the animal most dangerous. The apotropaic wand here 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 that carry knives to ward off evil forces. Some wands, like this one, and 15.3.197 are inscribed on the front with the words "protection of day" and "protection of night." Another wand in the collection (08.200.19) has a longer inscription on the back, indicating that it was used to protect a child. Although their exact use is unknown, these wands seem to have provided protection during birth and early in life. They were also placed in tombs to offer protection of the deceased at his or her rebirth.

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