Aegis of Bastet / Sakhmet

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The aegis is an object that comprises the bust of a deity with a broad collar below it. Broad collars are generally accompanied by a menat, a counterpoise that hangs at the back of the neck, balancing the weight of the heavy, elaborate collar on the chest. Although this piece only shows the deity’s head and broad collar, it represents the aegis-menat combination, which was not only a personal adornment but also played an important role in cult. It was a protective symbol and was used in rituals and festivals; the head allowed the deity to inhabit the ritual instrument and thus take part in the ceremonies. In this case, a lion-headed goddess is represented wearing a sun disk. These types of ritual objects are most closely associated with goddesses, especially Bastet, who may be shown here in her leonine form. This aegis has a large suspension loop at the back, possibly for use as an amulet. It also could have been held by a goddess, such as Bastet, who is frequently shown in copper alloy carrying aegises with anthropomorphic female or lion heads.

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