Brooklyn Museum — Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art · jewelry

Counterweight of a Necklace

Source of record: Brooklyn Museum — Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art — catalogued by the holding institution. View the original record →

Description

Object Label: This object was placed at the back of a multi-stringed necklace to balance its weight. Also, the beads of the necklace were shaken as a rattle in temple rituals, producing a sound thought to be pleasing to goddesses. This example was dedicated to the goddess Mut, represented as both a standing female and a vulture with a scepter. The queen’s head carved at the top acknowledges the close connection between Mut and the reigning queen, her earthly counterpart. Caption: Counterweight of a Necklace, ca. 1390–1353 B.C.E.. Bronze, gold, 2 1/8 x 6 3/4 in. (5.4 x 17.2 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 49.116. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)

AI image analysis GPT-4o-2024-08-06

Machine-generated from the object's image on May 2026. Not curatorial; treat deities, names, and signs below as the model's best reading, not authority.

A bronze amulet depicting a standing figure with elaborate headgear.

The artifact is a bronze amulet featuring a figure in a standing pose, adorned with a detailed headdress. The style is indicative of ancient Egyptian metallurgy, with intricate detailing on the headgear and body. The figure holds an ankh symbol, a common feature of Egyptian symbolism, and is mounted on a circular base with additional hieroglyphic or decorative elements. The craftsmanship suggests a focus on religious or protective themes.

decorative New Kingdom good
Materials bronze
Signs ankh

Connections

Found at Egypt
Materials Bronze

Cross-references (2)

  • BKM-Accession 49.116 tier-2
  • BKM-Object 3541 tier-2
About this record's data
  • From the source institution — accession, description, dimensions, and dating are as catalogued by Brooklyn Museum — Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art.
  • AI-inferred — the image-analysis panel (deities, names, signs) is machine-generated and may be wrong.
  • Approximate location — most map points are plotted at the site centroid, not the exact findspot.
  • Inferred links — cross-references marked with a match method other than explicit-source-field were matched by us, not stated by the source.