Ancient Egyptians frequently wore jewelry imbued with symbolic meaning and magical properties.

These potent objects, known today as amulets, were worn on the body in way that is comparable to modern bracelet charms and necklace pendants for the living, or worked into mummy wrappings to protect the deceased.

Amulets were an important part of ancient Egyptian material culture for millennia, with the earliest known examples dating from the Predynastic Badarian period (ca. 4400-4000 BCE).

They invoked the powers of gods, goddesses, and other magical forces.

Because they were desired by people from all social classes, the materials used to make amulets were quite varied, ranging from costly precious stones and metals to the much more common and accessible faience, a glazed material made from crushed stone or sand.