Amulets are ornaments believed to endow the wearer by magical means with the properties they represent. They were first made in Egypt as early as 4000 BC and were essential adornments for both the living and the dead. Crafted from gold and silver, semiprecious stones, and less valuable materials, they are fine examples of Egyptian art as well as a vital source of evidence for religious beliefs. In this book, Carol Andrews offers the first comprehensive account of the types of amulets made, their symbolism, and their protective powers. An amuletic foot could be worn to ensure fleetness of foot, a hand for dexterity. The desert-dwelling hare symbolized keenness of the senses, and the hedgehog, which hibernated and survived outside the fertile valley, held connotations of rebirth and triumph over death itself. The ubiquitous amulet in the shape of the dung beetle, known as a scarab, was symbolic of new life. Amulets in the image of powerful gods would be worn for protection, and malevolent creatures, like the male hippopotamus, would be worn to ward off the evil they represented. Both a reference book and an informative account of Egyptian magical belief, this is the most complete survey of the subject to date.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
This handy reference work covers everything most of us could ever want to know about the subject of ancient Egyptian daily-life and after-life charms, and should be on the shelf of every good personal library devoted to topics Egyptological. (KMT )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great book,written by oneof the leading experts on amulets,
By A Customer
This review is from: Amulets of Ancient Egypt (Paperback)
I had the pleasure of hearing the author lecture at an Egyptian conference at the Brooklyn Museum a few years ago. Her fascinatiing text and brilliant slides lose none of their impact as they find their way into print in this handsome little book. Some of Ancient Egypt's most beautiful and magical objects are the smallest in size, as evidenced by the amulets shown here by Ms. Andrews. Required reading for all Egypto-philes!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Egyptian Amulets,
By Friend of Egypt "Instructor" (Midwest, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Amulets of Ancient Egypt (Paperback)
Still the best comprehensive reference on the subject.
"Amulets" covers a broad range of concepts and ideas that demonstrate what it meant to BE an ancient Egyptian. A superb account of gods, myths, legends, materials used, and most importantly, symbolism. The 112 pages are filled with excellent black & white and color close-ups demonstrating the great skills of the ancient craftsmen. A great little book that every Egyptologist has on their bookshelf! Goes nicely with Cyril Aldred's "Jewels of the Pharaoh's" Jewels of the Pharaohs: Egyptian Jewelry of the Dynastic Period
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good Survey Book,
By
This review is from: Amulets of Ancient Egypt (Paperback)
I used this book for my senior thesis in college. While the information is more or less generalized, Andrews still adequately covers the majority of Egyptian amulets in existence. It's definitely a great survey book about amulets from the pre-dynastic to the Graeco-Roman period.
Another plus is that it includes numerous color plates of different kinds of amulets from different periods in Egyptian history.
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