Ancient Egyptian Amulets and Beads
May 2026
These objects are protective amulets and decorative beads from ancient Egypt, predominantly featuring animal forms (birds, insects, hands) crafted from materials like faience, glass, shell, and stone, worn as talismans or personal ornaments.
90 objects · 3 institutions
Amulet in the Shape of Two Mirror-Imaged Birds
Art Institute of Chicago
Byzantine Period (4th–7th century)
Amulet of Double Plumes
Art Institute of Chicago
Late Period, Dynasty 26–31 (664–332 BCE)
Amulet of Horus (?)
Cleveland Museum of Art
380–30 BCE
Amulet of Mut
Cleveland Museum of Art
1069–715 BCE
Amulet of Nefertem
Cleveland Museum of Art
525–343 BCE
Amulet of Nephthys
Cleveland Museum of Art
380–30 BCE
Amulet of Nephthys
Cleveland Museum of Art
380–30 BCE
Amulet of Ra-Horakhty (?)
Cleveland Museum of Art
380–30 BCE
Amulet of Two Back to Back Canine Heads
Art Institute of Chicago
First Intermediate Period? (about 2160 BCE)
Amulet of Two Fingers
Art Institute of Chicago
Late Period (664–332 BCE)
Amulet of Two Fingers
Art Institute of Chicago
Late Period (664–332 BCE)
Amulet of a Clenched Fist
Art Institute of Chicago
Roman Period (30 BCE–395 CE)
Amulet of a Dog
Cleveland Museum of Art
2123–2040 BCE
Amulet of a Duck
Art Institute of Chicago
Middle Kingdom (?) (about 2055–1650 BCE)
Amulet of a Duck (strung on beads)
Art Institute of Chicago
New Kingdom or later (about 1550 BCE or later)
Amulet of a Falcon
Art Institute of Chicago
First Intermediate Period–Middle Kingdom, Dynasty 9–13 (about 2160–1650 BCE)
Amulet of a Falcon
Art Institute of Chicago
Late Period, Dynasty 26–31 (664–332 BCE)
Amulet of a Falcon-Headed God
Art Institute of Chicago
Late Period, Dynasty 25–30 (780–343 BCE)
Amulet of a Fish
Art Institute of Chicago
Middle Kingdom (about 1700 BCE)
Amulet of a Fly
Art Institute of Chicago
New Kingdom (?) (about 1550–1069 BCE)
Amulet of a Hawk
Art Institute of Chicago
Third Intermediate Period, Dynasty 21–25 (1070–656 BCE)
Amulet of a Hawk
Art Institute of Chicago
Roman Period (?) (30 BCE–395 CE)
Amulet of a Hawk
Art Institute of Chicago
Third Intermediate Period, Dynasty 21–25 (1070–656 BCE)
Amulet of a Hawk
Art Institute of Chicago
Third Intermediate Period, Dynasty 21–25 (1070–656 BCE)
Amulet of a Heart
Art Institute of Chicago
Third Intermediate Period–Late Period, Dynasties 21–26 (about 1069–525 BCE)
Amulet of a Heart
Art Institute of Chicago
New Kingdom, Dynasty 18 (about 1350 BCE)
Amulet of a Heart
Art Institute of Chicago
New Kingdom, Dynasty 18 (about 1550-1295 BCE)
Amulet of a Heart
Art Institute of Chicago
Third Intermediate Period, Dynasty 21–25 (1070–656 BCE)
Amulet of a Heart
Art Institute of Chicago
New Kingdom, Dynasty 18 (about 1550–1295 BCE)
Amulet of a Heart
Art Institute of Chicago
New Kingdom (about 1550–1069 BCE)
Amulet of a Heart
Art Institute of Chicago
Third Intermediate Period, Dynasty 21–25 (1070–656 BCE)
Amulet of a Heart
Art Institute of Chicago
Late Period (about 664–332 BCE)
Amulet of a Heart
Art Institute of Chicago
Late Period, Dynasty 26–31 (664–332 BCE)
Amulet of a Heart
Art Institute of Chicago
Late Period, Dynasty 26–31 (664–332 BCE)
Amulet of a Heart
Art Institute of Chicago
Late Period, Dynasty 26–31 (664–332 BCE)
Amulet of a Heart
Art Institute of Chicago
New Kingdom, Dynasty 18 (about 1350 BCE)
Amulet of a Human Face
Art Institute of Chicago
Old Kingdom–First Intermediate Period, Dynasty 4–10 (about 2613–2055 BCE)
Amulet of a Human-headed Ba Bird
Art Institute of Chicago
Third Intermediate Period–Ptolemaic Period (about 11th century–1st century BCE)
Amulet of a Jackal-Headed God
Art Institute of Chicago
Late Period, Dynasty 25–30 (780–343 BCE)
Amulet of a Leg and Foot
Art Institute of Chicago
Late Old Kingdom–First Intermediate Period, Dynasty 5–11 (about 2494–2055 BCE)
Amulet of a Leg and Foot
Art Institute of Chicago
Late Old Kingdom–First Intermediate Period, Dynasty 5–11 (about 2494–2055 BCE)
Amulet of a Palmette
Cleveland Museum of Art
1540–1296 BCE
Amulet of a Ram's Head
Art Institute of Chicago
New Kingdom–Later Period? (about 1500–664 BCE)
Amulet of a Ram's Head
Art Institute of Chicago
New Kingdom–Third Intermediate Period (about 1550–664 BCE)
Amulet of a Recumbent Ram
Art Institute of Chicago
Third Intermediate Period–Late Period, Dynasty 21–31 (about 1069–332 BCE)
Amulet of a Rooster
Art Institute of Chicago
Byzantine Period (4th–7th century)
Amulet of a Shilbe Fish
Art Institute of Chicago
Late Period, Dynasty 26–31 (664–332 BCE)
Amulet of a Shrew
Cleveland Museum of Art
715–332 BCE
Amulet of a Sow
Art Institute of Chicago
Third Intermediate Period, Dynasty 21–25 (1070–656 BCE)
Amulet of a Stamp Seal
Art Institute of Chicago
Late Period, Dynasties 26–31 (664–332 BCE)
Amulet of a Star
Cleveland Museum of Art
1980–1801 BCE
Amulet of a Vulture
Art Institute of Chicago
Late Period, Dynasty 25–30 (780–343 BCE)
Amulet of an Ichneumon (?)
Art Institute of Chicago
Late Period–Ptolemaic Period (?) (about 7th–1st centuries BCE)
Amulet of an Unidentified Shape
Cleveland Museum of Art
2123–2040 BCE
Amulet of fist with thumb thrust between first two fingers
Metropolitan Museum of Art
1st–mid 4th century
Amulet of the God Horus as a Falcon
Art Institute of Chicago
Late Period–Ptolemaic Period (664–30 BCE)
Amulet of the God Nefertem
Art Institute of Chicago
Third Intermediate–Late Period (about 1069–664 BCE)
Amulet of the God Nefertem
Art Institute of Chicago
Third Intermediate Period, Dynasty 21–25 (1070–656 BCE)
Amulet of the God Nefertem
Art Institute of Chicago
Third Intermediate Period–Late Period (about 1070–332 BCE)
Amulet of the God Nehebkau
Art Institute of Chicago
Third Intermediate Period, Dynasty 21–25 (1070–656 BCE)
Amulet of the Goddess Nephthys
Art Institute of Chicago
Third Intermediate Period, Dynasty 21–25 (1070–656 BCE)
Amulet of the Soul as a Human-Headed Bird
Art Institute of Chicago
Late Period, Dynasty 25–30 (780–343 BCE)
Amulet, Falcon
Metropolitan Museum of Art
664–332 B.C.
Amulet, Horus falcon
Metropolitan Museum of Art
664–332 B.C.
Amulets
Cleveland Museum of Art
2123–2040 BCE
Amulets of Hearts (2)
Art Institute of Chicago
New Kingdom, Dynasty 18 (about 1350 BCE)
Bead Net Funerary Shroud with Amulets
Art Institute of Chicago
Third Intermediate Period, Dynasty 23–25 (about 818–656 BCE)
Bead or Amulet in the Form of a Bird
Art Institute of Chicago
New Kingdom, Dynasty 18–19 (about 1550–1186 BCE)
Bead or Amulet in the Form of a Bird
Art Institute of Chicago
New Kingdom, Dynasty 18–19 (about 1550–1186 BCE)
Bead or Amulet in the Shape of Two Birds
Art Institute of Chicago
New Kingdom, mid–Dynasty 18–Dynasty 19, about 1390–1186 BCE
Bird Amulet
Metropolitan Museum of Art
ca. 1850–1775 B.C.
Butterfly amulet
Metropolitan Museum of Art
ca. 1981–1640 B.C.
Design Amulet with Loop on the Back, Device of Two Children shown in Opposite Vertical Orientations
Metropolitan Museum of Art
ca. 2100–1950 B.C.
Falcon Breast Ornament
Cleveland Museum of Art
1000–900 BCE
Flint in the Form of a Bird
Cleveland Museum of Art
4000–3000 BCE
Fly Amulet
Cleveland Museum of Art
2040–1648 BCE
Fly Amulet
Cleveland Museum of Art
2040–1648 BCE
Fly Amulet
Cleveland Museum of Art
2040–1648 BCE
Flying Bird
Art Institute of Chicago
Greco–Roman Period (332 BCE–395 CE)
Hand Amulet
Cleveland Museum of Art
715–332 BCE
Heart Amulet
Cleveland Museum of Art
1069–715 BCE
Human headed amulet (bird?)
Metropolitan Museum of Art
ca. 1981–1550 B.C.
Nefertem Amulet
Cleveland Museum of Art
c. 500 BCE
Nehebkau Amulet
Art Institute of Chicago
Late Period, Dynasty 26–30 (664–332 BCE)
Ram Amulet
Cleveland Museum of Art
305–30 BCE
Ram Amulet
Art Institute of Chicago
Late Period–Ptolemaic Period (664–30 BCE)
String of star amulets
Metropolitan Museum of Art
ca. 1981–1295 B.C.
Three-Frog Bead Amulet
Cleveland Museum of Art
1540–1069 BCE
Two Beads or Amulets in the Form of Birds
Art Institute of Chicago
New Kingdom, Dynasty 18–19 (about 1550–1186 BCE)
Two Beads or Amulets in the Form of Birds
Art Institute of Chicago
New Kingdom, Dynasty 18–19 (about 1550–1186 BCE)