Uraeus fitting from shrine

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The rearing cobra, its upper body raised and its hood inflated, was a symbol of protection in ancient Egypt. Known commonly by its Greek name, the uraeus (iaret in Egyptian) was seen as the embodiment of several goddesses, particularly Wadjet, the patron deity of Lower (northern) Egypt. Images show royal and divine headdresses adorned with uraei at the forehead, facing forward to spit fire and venom at the enemies of Egypt. Friezes of rearing cobras, often with the additional of a sun disk on the head, are depicted along the tops of architectural features such as shrines, creating a protected space inside. This uraeus, which has a dowel hole underneath the body for attachment and a ring at the back of the sun disk, was likely an element in one of these friezes.

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