Trussed ox amulet

The small amulet forms the three-dimensional image of a fat ox with trussed legs. The animal’s head, ears, eyes, tail and legs tied under the belly are clearly visible, while the horns are only briefly shown. Such amulets are well attested in the period between the New Kingdom and the Late Period. Those from the New Kingdom were typically found in foundation deposits, i.e., gifts dedicated to new buildings, especially temples, which were placed under or next to the building to ensure the success of the enterprise. The offering thus served as a kind of substitute model for a real food offering in order to gain favour with the gods. In the Late Period, amulets in the shape of a trussed ox were used as offerings in tombs, hidden among the mummy’s bandages, to help provide the dead with provisions, which were crucial in the afterlife. The ox also played a prominent role in the funerary rituals, not only as a food offering but also as the animal whose foreleg was essential for the mummy’s magical revitalisation. At the entrance to the tomb, during the so-called “opening of the mouth ceremony” at the time of burial, the foreleg of an ox was cut off and the still bloody flesh was presented to the deceased. Like this presumably jasper amulet, most of the pieces forming the trussed ox were made of red-coloured material, symbolising blood and flesh.