Ask the Scholar
Document scope · 1 page
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory.
For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.
Source Description
This stunning amethyst amulet takes the shape of the head of a bull, an animal renowned from the earliest times in Egypt for its natural strength. The image presented is abstract, with only the most important of the animal features being represented: horns that curl downward in low relief, large eyes, and a narrow, cylindrical snout. The back is pierced horizontally for suspension. A well known but rare type, the bull's head amulet is also one of the earliest of all amulets from ancient Egypt, datable to the Predynastic period (4000–3000 BC). The outstanding composition and luxuriant violet hue of this example single it out as one of the very finest of its kind.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
160425
label
Bull's-Head Amulet
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
160425
contentType
object
title
Bull's-Head Amulet
description
This stunning amethyst amulet takes the shape of the head of a bull, an animal renowned from the earliest times in Egypt for its natural strength. The image presented is abstract, with only the most important of the animal features being represented: horns that curl downward in low relief, large eyes, and a narrow, cylindrical snout. The back is pierced horizontally for suspension. A well known but rare type, the bull's head amulet is also one of the earliest of all amulets from ancient Egypt, datable to the Predynastic period (4000–3000 BC). The outstanding composition and luxuriant violet hue of this example single it out as one of the very finest of its kind.
date
c. 3500–2950 BCE
citation
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q60745690
genreSpecific
Amulets
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 3.4 x 3.7 x 2.6 cm (1 5/16 x 1 7/16 x 1 in.)
cul
Egypt, Predynastic (5000–2950 BCE), Naqada II–III (3650–3000 BCE)
accession
1998.26
Source extras
tec
amethyst
tombstone
Bull's-Head Amulet, c. 3500–2950 BCE. Egypt, Predynastic (5000–2950 BCE), Naqada II–III (3650–3000 BCE). Amethyst; overall: 3.4 x 3.7 x 2.6 cm (1 5/16 x 1 7/16 x 1 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund, 1998.26
collection
Egypt - Predynastic
didYouKnow
In ancient Egypt the symbol of a bull, when worn or held, was believed to offer protection and increase fertility.
citations
citation
Berman, Lawrence M., and Kenneth J. Bohač.<em> Catalogue of Egyptian Art: The Cleveland Museum of Art.</em> Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1999
page_number
Reproduced: p. 511; Mentioned: p. 511-2
creditline
John L. Severance Fund
updatedAt
2026-05-29 08:19:57.821000
sourceId
160425
dept
Egyptian and Ancient Near Eastern Art
coll
Egypt - Predynastic
med
amethyst
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
0c83ade708252406