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Heart Amulet

Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art

The shapes of hieroglyphs for internal organs— and, therefore, their three-dimensional representations—are based on the organs of animals. This suggests that despite the immense anatomical knowledge gained from human mummification, animal organs were more familiar to the Egyptians than human ones.
MEDIUM Carnelian
DATES 664–343 B.C.E.
DYNASTY Dynasty 26 to Dynasty 30
PERIOD Late Period
DIMENSIONS 9/16 x 3/8 x 7/8 in. (1.5 x 0.9 x 2.2 cm)  (show scale)
ACCESSION NUMBER 16.580.31
CREDIT LINE Gift of Evangeline Wilbour Blashfield, Theodora Wilbour, and Victor Wilbour honoring the wishes of their mother, Charlotte Beebe Wilbour, as a memorial to their father Charles Edwin Wilbour
CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION Heart in polished carnelian, as amulet. Circular top with eyelet above. Both sides alike. Condition: Eyelet broken.
MUSEUM LOCATION This item is not on view
CAPTION Heart Amulet, 664–343 B.C.E. Carnelian, 9/16 x 3/8 x 7/8 in. (1.5 x 0.9 x 2.2 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Evangeline Wilbour Blashfield, Theodora Wilbour, and Victor Wilbour honoring the wishes of their mother, Charlotte Beebe Wilbour, as a memorial to their father Charles Edwin Wilbour, 16.580.31. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 16.580.31_front_PS2.jpg)
IMAGE front, 16.580.31_front_PS2.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2009
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RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY
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