Ancient Roman bronze Horus Amulet - 33 mm

Ancient Roman Bronze Horus Amulet

Culture / Period: Ancient Roman
Date / Period: 1st–2nd century A.D.
Material: Bronze
Dimensions: 33 mm
Condition: Good condition

No shipping outside the European Union. Due to complex export regulations concerning cultural goods, this item cannot be shipped outside the EU. Please ensure you have a delivery address within the European Union before placing a bid.

Provenance information:
Object Registration ID: 652

The current owner purchased the Ancient Roman bronze Horus amulet from a private collector, N.N.

The previous owner, a private collector, N.N. from the Netherlands, stated that the object had been in his collection since the 1990s.

According to the previous owner, the object had previously been in a private collection in the Netherlands since the 1990s.

No further information concerning the earlier ownership history of the object was available from the previous owner.

Background Information:
This cast bronze amulet represents the Egyptian god Horus in mummiform style, with the arms held across the chest. Horus, one of the principal deities of ancient Egypt, was associated with kingship, divine protection, and the triumph of order over chaos. During the Roman Imperial period, Egyptian religious beliefs spread widely throughout the Empire, and amulets depicting Egyptian deities became popular well beyond the Nile Valley.

Following the Roman annexation of Egypt in 30 B.C., the worship of Egyptian gods, including Horus, Isis, Serapis, and Harpocrates, became firmly established across the Mediterranean. Such amulets were worn as personal objects of devotion and protection, believed to safeguard their owners from harm and invoke divine favour in everyday life. They were used by people from many different backgrounds, reflecting the religious diversity of the Roman world.

Bronze amulets of this type were produced in specialised workshops using established casting techniques and were traded extensively throughout the Empire. Similar examples have been discovered in Egypt as well as in Roman provinces across Europe, illustrating the far-reaching exchange of both goods and religious ideas under Roman rule.

This piece reflects the blending of Egyptian and Roman religious traditions during the Imperial period. It provides a direct and tangible connection to the spiritual life of antiquity, when personal amulets such as this accompanied their owners as symbols of faith, protection, and divine guardianship in everyday life.