A fine Ancient Egyptian faience Wadj amulet. The piece features a long, tubular shape and tapering to a point and a splayed terminal, and a suspension loop at the top representing a papyrus column. The amulet features a turquoise colouration throughout, as well as some earthy encrustations. Amulets in Ancient Egypt were both decorative and practical, as they were considered as having apotropaic powers to protect or bestow power upon the wearer. Not only worn by the living, amulets have been found inside the wrappings of mummies, as they were used to prepare the deceased for the afterlife. The Wadj Sceptre is a rolled papyrus scroll, and in amulet form was thought to give the wearer eternal youth. The papyrus was used in the hieroglyphic script for the word ‘wadj’, meaning “fresh”, making it an appropriate talisman for the preservation of the body. The papyrus sceptre thus symbolised new life and regeneration, and so held particular significance for the deceased in the afterlife. Books 159 and 160 of the Book of the Dead refer to a Wadj amulet made of feldspar being placed at the throat of the mummy. However, amulets were made just as often in the more affordable medium of faience, which was green in colour to mimic feldspar. Feldspar was another precious stone used by the Egyptians, and its green colouring was symbolic of new life. Measurements: Length x 3.7cm, Width x 0.9cm Provenance: Early 20th Century UK Collection