Bes-Image Amulet

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

In ancient Egypt, several protective deities were depicted as dwarves featuring a lion's mane, ears, and tail, and often wearing a plumed headdress. Such gods are now referred to as the Bes-image. The domain of the Bes image was the household. He averted evil with music, knives, or the sa sign as he watched over the occupants of the house. He was particularly protective of women and children, and over time this responsibility gave him a role in some temples when there was a birth house for the deity. Thus, the Bes image was a popular amulet.

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