Shell amulet inscribed with the name of Amenemhat III

Shell amulet inscribed with the name of Amenemhat III

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This amulet has been inscribed wtih the prenomen (throne name) of Amenemhat III, Nimaatre, flanked by djed pillars, symbolizing stability, and ankhs, meaning life. A number of actual oyster shells polished and engraved with royal names of the Middle Kingdom are known, and these are thought to have been worn by military personnel as pendants. This example, although smaller and of a different material is, like the shell examples, pierced with two holes so that it could be hung from a string.

Egyptian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Shell amulet inscribed with the name of Amenemhat IIIShell amulet inscribed with the name of Amenemhat IIIShell amulet inscribed with the name of Amenemhat IIIShell amulet inscribed with the name of Amenemhat IIIShell amulet inscribed with the name of Amenemhat III

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.