Rare pendant amulet of fecundity, in blue faience, depicts the sky-goddess (mother goddess) Nut as a sow. Seems to be suckling or swallowing her piglets. Dates to the Third Intermediate Period (1085-760 BC). Measures 1 inch in length. “The sky goddess whose arched body formed the vault of heaven gave birth to the sun each dawn and swallowed him each dusk; conversely, she bore the myriad stars each evening and gobbled them up each dawn. It is not surprising that, as mother of the stars, she should have taken the form of a great sow, for the female pig’s habit of eating her own piglets must have been well known. Glazed composition amulets of a vast rooting sow, either walking alone or with up to seven piglets marching between her legs, first occur in Third Intermediate period burials. . . Such amulets were intended to endow their wearer with fecundity” (Andrews 1994:35). Fecundity, derived from the word fecund, generally refers to the ability to reproduce
For reference see: Andrews, Carol, 1994. Amulets of Ancient Egypt. University of Texas Press, Texas. p. 35
Provenance: Collected by Gustave Jéquier (1868-1946)
Ex. Billy Jamieson Collection, 2009 (1954-2011)
Authentication: Gayle Gibson, Royal Ontario Museum Toronto
