Sphinx Amulet

This sphinx amulet, created during the Kushite Dynasty, shows a departure from the traditional sphinx of the New Kingdom, usually represented as lying down with its paws stretched out before it, wearing a nemes headdress. Here, the female faience sphinx is seated on its haunches and has its hair arranged in cross-like form. The amulet features the remnants of a loop for suspension and would have been worn as an amulet. The lion, and by extension the sphinx, had a long history in Egypt of acting as the protector or guardian of the king and sacred space and often represented the king's aggressive side. The Kushite Dynasty brought their own belief in the lion as a symbol of royal authority and therefore an amulet such as this would have had particularly strong royal connotations during this dynasty. It is possible that a wearer might seek to be imbued with some of the qualities of the lion or the king.