Circa 664-332 BC, Late Dynastic Period An Egyptian amulet made of turquoise faience of the air god Shu. He is depicted kneeling, with one knee to the ground and the other raised. His arms appear raised and bent at the elbows. The sun is represented between his raised arms. The amulet is pierced through the middle for suspension. Mounted in a 22kt gold pendant with suspension loop connected to a necklace. Shu was the god of air, wind and the serenity associated with such elements. In the Heliopolitan creation myth Shu separates the sky from the Earth, initiating the creation of life. His kneeling representation, as an amulet, alludes to this myth. The sun disc seen between the raised arms represents the vast sky. He was also depicted iconographically wearing an ostrich feather and was often associated with Ma’at (truth). For similar amulets see: Flinders Petrie, Amulets. Size: L:26mm / W:13mm; 2.54g Provenance: Property of a London Gentleman; formerly in a private UK collection formed in the the 1990s.