Amulet of a Turtle
A small inlaid sculpture of a soft-shelled turtle. This object is a sophisticated example of Middle Kingdom artistic skill and creativity and must have been commissioned by an elite member of society. Animal figurines have a long history as gifts to deities and as burial goods to protect the dead.
Amethyst, turquoise, lapis-lazuli, carnelian, and organic material. Middle Kingdom, 12th Dynasty, ca. 1991-1802 BC. From Dendera. Now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
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