Amulet in the form of a head of an elephant

Amulet in the form of a head of an elephant

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Few amulets from the Predynastic Period are known. In the past, Egyptologists identified amulets, such as this one, as representing a bull's head, but the round face and eyes, the horns that curve inward to the face, and a snout with a defined ridge make a strong argument for its identification as an elephant. During this period, elephants lived in oasis-like zones in the high desert created by greater rainfall than today. They were probably a rare sight to floodplain dwellers, but their size, tusks, and aggressive displays made them an awe-inspiring creature and an excellent subject for a potent amulet.

Egyptian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Amulet in the form of a head of an elephantAmulet in the form of a head of an elephantAmulet in the form of a head of an elephantAmulet in the form of a head of an elephantAmulet in the form of a head of an elephant

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.