George Hart Collection. U.S.A. New Kingdom, 1567 to 1085 B.C. New Kingdom, 1567 to 1085 B.C.

Only Kings, Queens and Gods were allowed to carry this symbol. The
ankh is the Egyptian sign of life and indicates that the King or God
holding it has the power to give life or take it away from lesser
mortals. The Ankh as a symbol of the life giving elements of air and
water was often used by a God or Goddess who holds the ankh before
the King’s nose, giving him the “breath of life” or as streams of
water in the form of ankhs running over the King during ritual
purification. This ankh is decorated with the “djed” pillar and the
dog-headed “was” scepter. The djed pillar was a symbol of stability
and was considered the backbone of the God Osiris. The was scepter
was a popular one for the Gods to hold and became a symbol of
well-being and happiness. The kneeling figure on top of the djed
pillar is the God of “millions of years” holding branches in his
hands.

Product SKU: E-054SW-