A lapis lazuli amulet from the New Kingdom Period of Ancient Egypt, designed in the form of a poppy head. The amulet is pierced at the top for suspension. Poppy or thistle amulets were representative of healing and the removal of pain. Thistles were common all over Egypt, but especially around the Nile. It is thought that they were peeled and boiled before consumption, with the thistle used in some parts of the world as a herbal treatment for hepatic disorders. If, on the other hand, the amulet is intended to represent a poppy, the piece retains symbolic significance. Indeed, there is evidence for the extraction of morphine from poppies in the ancient world. Measurements: Circa W 0.5cm x H 1.9cm Provenance: From a UK collection, 1920's-1940's.