An Egyptian banded agate falcon amulet, circa 664 - 332 BC
Length of amulet: 1.5 cm (not including modern gold loop)
Provenance: Private collection, 1980s, then with Galerie Nefer, Zurich, acquired in the 1990s
Published: A. Wiese, Ägypten – Augenblicke der Ewigkeit: unbekannte Schätze aus Schweizer Privatbesitz, Mainz, 1997, p.84-5, ill. d (part).
The banded agate amulet is in the form of the Horus falcon, pierced through the head for suspension, with a modern gold loop and chain.
Egyptian amulets were believed to possess positive properties that could be magically bestowed upon the owner. This magical power could be derived from several elements of the amulet: the material, colour, shape, decoration, and the object that the amulet was intended to represent. Amulets could be worn with other pieces of jewellery or sewn into clothes.
In ancient Egypt, falcons were most often associated with the sky god Horus, the son of Osiris and Isis. He was a deity associated with the sky but, more importantly, represented the embodiment of divine kingship, making him the protector of the reigning pharaoh.
Such amulets were made from many different precious and semi-precious materials, and were believed to channel the magical powers of Horus, protecting and healing the wearer. The choice of material was of symbolic significance also, and certain stones had particular functions; agate was believed to provide protection and good luck to the wearer. The name "banded" is given to this type of agate because of its distinct bands of colour. These bands can be thick or thin and range in colour and pattern.