Amulet

This gold pendant served as a protective amulet. This is a so-called ‘aegis’ shape: the head of a divinity combined with a wide collar. The amulet is based on larger examples made of bronze or precious metal. Priests and priestesses would hold them during temple dances and cult rituals dedicated to certain goddesses. Amulets frequently contained an aegis of the lioness goddess Sakhmet, as here. On her head, the goddess sports a sun disk and a cobra.