Egypt, Late Dynastic Period, 26th to 31st Dynasty, ca. 664 to 332 BCE. A mold-formed faience amulet depicting a stylized heart-and-windpipe (known as "ib") covered in lustrous, turquoise-hued glaze. The egg-shaped amulet features a pair of petite fins protruding from the sides, a squared-off top portion surmounted by a pierced suspension loop, and a crescent-shaped hieroglyph incised on each side meant to symbolize rebirth. Size: 0.53" W x 0.79" H (1.3 cm x 2 cm); 1.25" H (3.2 cm) on included custom stand.According to Carol Andrews, a curator in the Department of Egyptian Antiquities at the British Museum, "To the Egyptians the heart was the most essential of organs, not because it pumped blood around the body - it is unclear that they understood this function - but because they believed it was the seat of intelligence, the originator of all feelings and actions, and the storehouse of memory. This is why it was the heart which was weighed in the balance in the Underworld to ascertain whether its owner was worthy to enter the Egyptian paradise: only it retained the memory of its owner's deeds upon earth." (Andrews, Carol. "Amulets of Ancient Egypt." University of Texas Press, Austin, 1994, p. 72) Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; ex-private Midwest, USA collection, acquired prior to 2007; ex-private UK collection All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping. #172105