Baboon amulet

Amulets have been part of ancient Egyptian grave goods since the fourth millennium BC, so their use is deeply rooted in their belief systems. They held magical power for their owner: they served an apotropaic, i.e., protective, and often healing function as personal items worn as part of jewellery, but they could also be carried as grave goods to support afterlife.

This high-quality amulet depicts a squatting hamadryas baboon (Papio hamadryas) with a richly decorated cape, i.e., mane and mantle. Its paw is resting on its knee, while its male member is clearly visible between the legs. The suspension ring on the back of the object was made of faience, which was easy to mould during the production process.

The baboon was the sacred animal and manifestation of the god Thoth. Animal amulets representing the god were rare before the New Kingdom and became common from the end of the Ramesside period. Their owner hoped to benefit from their magical powers when identified with the god, but they could also be perceived as a sign of honour to the god. Thoth was the god of writing and the protector of scribes, so the amulet was primarily made for a scribe. When placed in the tomb of the owner, it provided support for the afterlife and rebirth. Thot’s role in the afterlife was crucial. According to the best-known funerary text, the Book of the Dead, which provides guidance in the afterlife, during the so-called Weighing of the Heart Ceremony, Thoth, as the scribe of the gods, recorded the results of the weighing and could thus prevent the entry to the afterlife. The baboon’s relationship with the sun is also important in the context of renewal. The animal greets the sunrise in the morning with a peculiar ritual thus the baboon was thought to possess a special knowledge that could support the deceased in their transformation from Osiris to Ra, and in rebirth. This symbolism is reinforced by the material of Egyptian faience, whose reflective quality and luminosity are also associated with the sun god. The greenish colour of the material was also a symbol of youth and renewal.