Heart Amulet (Front and Back)

The ancient Egyptians considered the heart the most important organ in the human body, the seat of intelligence, emotion, and memory. On judgement day, after the negative confessions, during which the deceased listed all the horrible deeds they did not commit, their heart was weighed against an ostrich feather, representing the goddess of truth and justice, Maat. If the heart was found to be as light as the feather, the deceased was granted eternal life in the realm of the dead, but if the heart was found to weigh more than the feather, the deceased’s heart was eaten by a demon. The heart amulet was, therefore, only used on the mummy to protect the deceased’s heart, without which resurrection was impossible.

For more, see Yasmin El Shazly's article ‘Dung Beetles & Sandal Straps’ from Rawi magazine’s Issue 7 available online (link in details).