Winged Isis Pectoral

Winged Isis Pectoral

Unknown artist, Egyptian
Winged Isis Pectoral, 1075-712 BCE
Faience
Helen M. Danforth Acquisition Fund 1996.73.1

This amulet in the form of the winged goddess Isis was originally sewn onto the linen bandages of a mummy. The goddess’s wings spread across the mummy’s chest, embracing and protecting the deceased in the afterlife.

The pectoral was made in three pieces. A mold was probably used for the body, and the two wings made with either molds or templates. The delicate feathering on the wings perhaps was impressed by hand with the flat side of a blade before firing.

RISD MUSEUM

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