Shu amulet

The amulet depicts the god Shu. Shu emerged from Atum, the creator god, as the first step in the creation process of the universe, when Atum sneezed him out. Shu is the void, the air that separates sky and earth appearing in the next stage of creation. On the other hand, Shu also holds the sky, Nut, and thereby initiates and protects the process of creation and the cyclical celestial journey of the sun. This was of particular importance in the mortuary sphere. When identifying with Shu, the deceased became unimpeded on his journey towards rebirth. For this reason, Shu amulets were placed in the lower part of the deceased’s torso, between the mummy bandages. Furthermore, Shu could also serve as a magical amulet at birth as a supporter of life.

The god Shu also created eight supporters to assist Nut, who are called Heh meaning ’eternal’. The gods Shu and Heh are thus intertwined in promoting the creation of the universe, its eternal sustenance, and the continuous renewal of the sun god and the deceased. The connection is also evident in the iconography of the two gods. In three-dimensional depictions, such as the amulets, Shu holds up the solar disc, which symbolises the sky, with both arms raised, while he sits half-kneeling on a small pedestal. His head which shows its attribute, the feather, and legs were depicted frontally. He wears a long tripartite wig, a false beard, and a short, pleated kilt. On the other hand, Heh is also depicted seated with his arms held upwards, however he is usually shown in profile. Furthermore, even the feather on the head can be interpreted as an attribute of Heh, the hieroglyph for the year. This makes it difficult to separate the two gods, especially for the often low-quality amulets.

On the back of the small object, there is also a back pillar with a hole for suspension. The amulets were most often made of glazed Egyptian faience, whose green colour also supported rebirth. This type of Shu amulet, with its relatively good quality and flattened sun-disc, can be dated from the Third Intermediate Period to the Late Period.