Ask the Scholar
Document scope · 6 pages
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
The Udjat-eye (also called Horus-eye) was one of the most popular amulets in Ancient Egypt. The eye symbolizes legitimate kingship, it secures the life of the sun-god, and also of other deities, as well as human beings. In the Horus myth the eye was stolen from its legitimate owner Horus, by Seth, the god of the wild, powerful, and untamed nature. This violent act caused disorder in the universe, and the eye had to be brought back to reestablish order, and to heal in its place with Horus. As an amulet the Udjat-eye should secure life in this world and in the afterlife, protect health, and promote healing. The standardized form of the amulet combines the human eye with the cheek marking of a falcon and the tear marking of a cheetah. Besides the right Udjat-eye there is also a left version. While the right eye is connected with the sun, the left eye represents the moon. Most of the Udjat-eye amulets have a green-blue or red color; in this case different colors are combined to reflect the polychromy of life and nature.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
9339
label
Sacred Eye Udjat
core
obj
dtoType
object
citationUrl
pageCount
6
Source metadata
id
9339
sourceUrl
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Sacred Eye Udjat
description
The Udjat-eye (also called Horus-eye) was one of the most popular amulets in Ancient Egypt. The eye symbolizes legitimate kingship, it secures the life of the sun-god, and also of other deities, as well as human beings. In the Horus myth the eye was stolen from its legitimate owner Horus, by Seth, the god of the wild, powerful, and untamed nature. This violent act caused disorder in the universe, and the eye had to be brought back to reestablish order, and to heal in its place with Horus. As an amulet the Udjat-eye should secure life in this world and in the afterlife, protect health, and promote healing. The standardized form of the amulet combines the human eye with the cheek marking of a falcon and the tear marking of a cheetah. Besides the right Udjat-eye there is also a left version. While the right eye is connected with the sun, the left eye represents the moon. Most of the Udjat-eye amulets have a green-blue or red color; in this case different colors are combined to reflect the polychromy of life and nature.
provenance
Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1929, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
date
ca. 945-525 BCE (Third Intermediate-Late Period)
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
Glasswares
pendants
amulets
amulet pendants
imageCount
6
pageCount
6
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
2.3
height
3.6
depth
0.6
dimensionsRaw
H: 15/16 x W: 1 7/16 x D: 1/4 in. (2.33 x 3.63 x 0.63 cm)
Source extras
cul
Egyptian
dynasty
22nd-26th Dynasty
med
polychrome faience, glass
creator_ids
6182
collection_ids
EGY
exhibition_ids
454
2513
Page inventory
seq
1
type
photo
mediaId
4b8f75d7f1dafac5
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
2
type
photo
mediaId
8432c23b96083739
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
3
type
photo
mediaId
dff08f251925552a
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
4
type
photo
mediaId
f5fc767be169abcf
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
5
type
photo
mediaId
933e578e812ecf17
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
6
type
photo
mediaId
92a76d73b4e6569a
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no