Ring with Wedjat Eye ("Eye of Horus")

Place of OriginEgypt, reportedly from near Giza

Date18th Dynasty (1550-1292 BCE)

Dimensions13/16 in. (2.1 cm)

MediumFaience

ClassificationJewelry

Object number

1926.93

Not on View

DescriptionA finger ring made of molded faience (glazed composition). The bezel is formed in the shape of a Wedjat eye (Eye of Horus), featuring the characteristic human eye with falcon markings (the "teardrop" and spiral markings). The glaze is turquoise-blue.

Label TextThis bright blue ring features the Wedjat eye, or Eye of Horus—one of ancient Egypt’s most powerful symbols. Representing the healed eye of the falcon god Horus, it was believed to offer magical protection, health, and wholeness to its wearer. In the 18th Dynasty, colorful faience rings like this were mass-produced, allowing people outside the royal court to wear jewelry that mimicked precious stones like turquoise and lapis lazuli. This ring was acquired in 1926 from the collection of Azeez Khayat, a prominent early 20th-century antiquities dealer.Published ReferencesAnderson Galleries, Auction 2050, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Phoenician, Saracenic & Persian Antiques... Collected by Azeez Khayat, New York, 1926, p. 14, lot 96.