Ask the Scholar

A trapezoidal shaped faience amulet in the form of a plaque with the raised relief image of the goddess Nephthys. The goddess kneels upon a low base and holds her right hand in front of her face in a gesture of mourning. She wears a long sheath gown and a tripartite wig. Her characteristic headdress is actually a hieroglyphic writing of her name: a "nb" basket on top of a "hwt" shrine/mansion. Her name means "Lady of the Mansion." Numerous funerary amulets were usually placed among the many layers of linen strips used to wrap mummies. Specific amulets, along with their required position on the body, are listed in funerary texts such as "The Book of the Dead." Amulets were sometimes sewn directly onto the wrappings or could be incorporated into a bead net shroud covering the mummy. This amulet has been modeled with a flat underside and is pierced by tiny holes around the edges for attachment.