Amulet
Date1069 BC-364 AD
MediumFaience
DimensionsObject/Work: 36 x 13 x 13 mm
ClassificationsReligious/Ritual Equipment
Terms
Object numberC07172
DescriptionAmulet of Pataikos. Standing figure of male dwarf in a hunched position with a bald head and sidelock. He is strangling snakes in his hands. Blue glazed composition with a hole at the back for suspension. This amulet conferred protective qualities. It has been suggested that they may represent a form of the craftsman god Ptah as dwarfs often worked in precious-metal workshops. Because of this, these figures have been called Ptah-Sokar figures in the past, also linking them with the Memphite funerary god Sokar.
Crude versions appear as early as the Sixth Dynasty but most recognisable versions date to the Third Intermediate Period and later.
Amulets were a popular form of jewellery in Egypt and were worn or carried for power or protection.
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