Ancient Egypt, Late Dynastic to Ptolemaic Period, ca. 664 to 30 BCE. A mold-formed djed pillar amulet of a slender form with a flared foot, a tiered upper body, and a slender suspension hole drilled through the dorsal pillar. The djed pillar amulet was one of the most popular to be placed on the mummy, and was also interpreted as the backbone of Osiris, or that of the deceased associated with him. The Egyptians recognized the importance of the spine and saw it as a symbol that kept Osiris, the resurrected god, intact and able to function. Spell 151e of the Book of the Dead refers to the djed-pillar amulet as "the magical protection of Osiris" and spell 155 was likely recited over this amulet as it was placed on the throat of a mummy. As a hieroglyph, the djed-pillar denotes the more abstract concepts of stability, endurance, and rejuvenation. Size: 0.24" L x 0.42" W x 1.14" H (0.6 cm x 1.1 cm x 2.9 cm)

Exhibited at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) from 1986 to 1991; in the University of Arizona Museum of Art, October 1993 to December 1993; and in the Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art (RAFFMA), California State University, San Bernardino from 1996 to 2023, reference number EL01.287.1996.

Published in Dr. Gerry D. Scott III. "Temple, Tomb and Dwelling: Egyptian Antiquities from the Harer Family Trust Collection." University of California Press, 1992, pp. 184-185, fig. 132b

Provenance: Collection of Dr. W. Benson Harer, Los Angeles, California, USA, purchased February 22, 1975; ex-Superior Galleries, Los Angeles, California, USA; ex-Philip Mitry collection, with Anglo-American Bookstore, Cairo, 1940s, and imported to USA circa 1952; Exhibited at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) from 1986 to 1991; in the University of Arizona Museum of Art, October 1993 to December 1993; and in the Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art (RAFFMA), California State University, San Bernardino from 1996 to 2023, reference number EL01.287.1996; Published in "Temple, Tomb, and Dwelling", fig. 132b

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#182200

Minor abrasions and light fading to glaze pigment, otherwise intact and excellent. Great preservation to overall form.