Amulet in the form of a heart vessel

There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .

IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.

View manifest View in Mirador Viewer

Object Details

Description

Heart amulet, dark blue with light blue and yellow dragged design.

Label

From the New Kingdom (ca. 1539-1075 B.C.E.) onward, Egyptian artisans used glass to fashion small objects such as jewelry, amulets, and miniatures. The heart vessel was a popular amulet because it symbolized life. It is the hieroglyphic symbol ib, which means "heart." Amulets of this form were made in various materials and a range of sizes, but during the later part of Dynasty 18 they were most often made of glass.

Provenance

To 1909

Giovanni Dattari (circa 1858-1923), Cairo, Egypt, to 1909 [1]

From 1909 to 1919

Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Giovanni Dattari in 1909 [2]

From 1920

Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]

Notes:

[1] See S.I. 189, Miscellaneous List, Egyptian Glass, pgs. 1 and 16, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. This piece is part of a collection of glass that was purchased en bloc and includes 1,388 specimens (for further purchase information, see the folder for F1909.332).

[2] See note 1.

[3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.

Collection

Freer Gallery of Art Collection

Exhibition History

A Collector’s Eye: Freer in Egypt (January 28, 2023 to 2025)

Charles Lang Freer and Egypt (June 13, 1998 to October 2, 2011)

Ancient Glass (June 1962 to (end date unknown))

Glass Exhibition, in honor of VI International Congress on Glass (July 4, 1962 to December 3, 1962)

Previous custodian or owner

Giovanni Dattari (1858-1923) (C.L. Freer source)

Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

Credit Line

Gift of Charles Lang Freer

Date

ca. 1390-1353 BCE

Period

New Kingdom, Dynasty 18, Reign of Amenhotep III

Accession Number

F1909.524

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply

Type

Jewelry and Ornament

Medium

Glass

Dimensions

H (overall): 2.2 cm (7/8 in)

Origin

Egypt

On View

West Building (Freer Gallery of Art), Gallery 20: A Collector’s Eye: Freer in Egypt

Related Online Resources

Google Arts & Culture

See more items in

National Museum of Asian Art

Data Source

National Museum of Asian Art

Topic

molding

core-forming

glass

New Kingdom (ca. 1539 - 1075 BCE)

Dynasty 18 (ca. 1539 - 1295 BCE)