Design Amulet in the Shape of a Fly

Design Amulet in the Shape of a Fly

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Examples of amulets shaped like a fly are known from Predynastic graves (ca. 3600 B.C.). It remains unclear why the fly possessed an amuletic purpose; possible explanations for its depiction include both its fecundity and the need to rid oneself of this common pest.

Egyptian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Design Amulet in the Shape of a FlyDesign Amulet in the Shape of a FlyDesign Amulet in the Shape of a FlyDesign Amulet in the Shape of a FlyDesign Amulet in the Shape of a Fly

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.