Amulet of the Goddess Isis Nursing the God Horus

Creator Name

Unknown

Cultural Context

Egyptian

Date

Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt

About the work

curationist logoCurationist Object Description
The mother goddess Isis sits on a throne nursing the god Horus as an infant. This small hematite amulet from Dynasty 25 brought protection to mothers and children, and may have been an amulet of fertility or rebirth. Its production in hematite, a curative bloodstone, may indicate its use in female reproductive health as well.

Isis was often depicted breastfeeding in images termed "Isis lactans," reinforcing her role as a creator, protector, and fecund symbol. These images had a direct influence on later images of the Virgin Mary breastfeeding Christ, known as "Madonna" or "Maria lactans."

Work details

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= Curationist added metadata(Learn more)

Title

Amulet of the Goddess Isis Nursing the God Horus

Creator

Unknown
Egyptian;
Ancient Egyptian

Worktype

Costume and Accessories; amulet; stone; jewelry; ancient art; costume

Cultural Context

Egyptian

Material

Hematite; hematite

Dimensions

4 × 1.6 × 2.5 cm (1/16 × 5/8 × 1 in.); 4 × 1.6 × 2.5 cm (1/16 × 5/8 × 1 in.)

Technique

carving

Language

--

Date

Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt
Third Intermediate Period, Dynasty 25 (about 747–656 BCE)

Provenance

Gift of Charles L. Hutchinson, Henry H. Getty, and Norman W. Harris; Émile Brugsch (1842-1930), Bulaq Museum and Egyptian Antiquities Service, Cairo; sold to the Art Institute of Chicago, 1892; price reimbursed by Henry H. Getty and Charles L. Hutchinson, 1892.

Style Period

third intermediate period; egyptian; ancient; kushite; twenty-fifth dynasty

Rights

Public Domain
Public Domain

Inscription

--

Location

Egypt

Subjects

Amulet; Breastfeeding; Mother; Child; Headdress; Deity
nursing (breast feeding); goddesses; gods (deities)

Topic

Fertility

Curationist Metadata Contributors

Amanda Acosta

All Works in Curationist’s archives can be reproduced and used freely. How to attribute this Work:

Unknown, Amulet of the Goddess Isis Nursing the God Horus, 747 BCE–656 BCE. Art Institute of Chicago. Isis was often depicted breastfeeding in her images, which had a direct influence on the proliferation of Madonna lactans in the Medieval era. Public Domain.

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