Amulet of Ibis with Maat Feather

Place of OriginEgypt

Date25th–31st Dynasties (747–332 BCE)

Dimensions1/2 x 11/16 in. (1.3 x 1.7 cm)

ClassificationJewelry

Credit LineGift of Florence Scott Libbey

Object number

1925.616

Not on View

Label TextThis amulet depicts an ibis—sacred to the god Thoth—paired with a feather symbolizing Maat, the concept of cosmic balance and truth. Thoth, often shown with an ibis head, was the divine scribe who recorded the weighing of the heart ceremony, where the deceased’s soul was judged against the feather of Maat. By combining the ibis and feather, this amulet invokes both wisdom and moral integrity. Made of blue-green faience, a material linked to rebirth and protection, the piece would have been worn or placed in a burial to ensure a favorable judgment and a just, well-ordered passage to the afterlife.