Amulet of the God Bes
Unknown · Late Period, 664-332 BC
Less than three centimetres of gold, and a whole personality. The plaque was hammered from behind so that the figure stands out in relief: a squat dwarf with bandy legs, a lion's mane and ears, a broad flat face, and a tongue thrust out between the teeth. A loop at the top shows that it was worn on a cord around the neck. This is Bes, the household god who guarded sleep, childbirth and children, and who frightened away snakes, scorpions and evil spirits by being uglier than any of them. His face is seen from the front, a privilege he shares with Hathor, because a protector should look straight at whatever threatens you.
Amulets of Bes were worn by rich and poor alike, in faience, stone or, as here, in gold, which was itself thought to be the flesh of the gods and never to decay. The style dates this example to the Late Period, the last centuries before Alexander. It passed through two famous nineteenth century collections, that of the Swedish consul Giovanni Anastasi and that of the collector Raifé, and the Louvre bought it at the Raifé sale in March 1867.
Did You Know? Bes is one of the very few Egyptian gods shown full face, sticking out his tongue to scare off demons.
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