An ancient Egyptian carnelian menat amulet with suspension loop at the top.
 
New Kingdom period: Circa 1550 to 1070 BC
 
Very Fine condition; complete and intact.
Height 25 mms (1 inch)
 
Provenance: From a private collection acquired by the previous owner's father in the 1950's.
 
The menat is a term for the counterweight of a menat necklace, a heavy set of beads with counterweight sacred to great female goddesses in particular who were appeased by the sound of the shaken beads. The counterweight served as a symbol of the whole elaborate necklace. The menat remained an important magical amulet throughout Egyptian history, serving to propitiate the great goddesses and evoke their powerful protection. (source: Met Museum)
 
See our blog post about Egyptian amulets