This faience amulet depicts the mummiform god Ptah. The deity, who stands on a rectangular base, holds a scepter in his hands. The amulet is pierced horizontally through the back-pillar behind the chest.
Ancient Egyptian gods and goddesses who assume purely anthropomorphic human forms with no animal attributes are often the most primordial and powerful gods in the ancient Egyptian pantheon. The widespread practice of wearing amulets in the form of anthropomorphic deities began in the New Kingdom ca. According to some theologies, Ptah was the creator god who spoke the primordial mound from which all other life rose into existence.
Ptah served as the patron god of Memphis, the capital of Egypt at different points in its ancient history. As an Egyptian creator deity, Ptah existed before all other things and creations. Ptah created the universe and all living beings, including other gods and goddesses through his words. As the myth goes, Ptah created the world by thinking and imagining about it.
His ideas and visions were then translated into magical words. When Ptah spoke out these words, the physical world began to emerge. As a creator god, Ptah had the responsibility to preserve and protect his creations. This makes Ptah an important deity in the Egyptian pantheon. These include:. Ptah was the husband of Sekhmet , the warrior and healing goddess. His son was Nefertem and Imhotep. Together with Sekhmet and Nefertem, Ptah was one of the triad of Memphis, and was highly revered.
Ptah was predominantly represented as a naked, deformed, and bearded dwarf. He was often depicted with three of the most powerful Egyptian symbols:. These symbols represent the power and creativity of Ptah as a deity of creation and life, power and stability. Ptah absorbed the characteristics and traits of many other Egyptian deities.
He was influenced by Sokar, the falcon god, and Osiris , the deity of the Underworld. Together, the three deities were called Ptah-Sokar-Osiris. He willed the world into existence with the power of his mind, like a great conjuror of celestial proportions. In Memphite texts, the present tense is used, indicating the ongoing act of sustaining life.
Outside of his home city of Memphis, creation was attributed to other gods. Yet Ptah was seen as the ultimate source of the world — and the gods — in Heliopolis.
Here Atum, after being thought into being by Ptah, used other components left by his creator to fashion the world and everything in it. Thus, much of Lower Egypt recognized Ptah as the great origin of all things. Extending from his creative powers, the god Ptah was seen as a patron of all forms of craftsmen , including carpenters, shipbuilders, potters, metalworkers, and the impressive Egyptian sculptors.
The head of Ptah in the image above, dating to roughly the 8 th century BC, is barely over half an inch tall, beard included. It is certainly not lacking in detail, however!
The ancient Egyptians were highly skilled in art and architecture and were masters of stone-working. Projects big or small were conducted with great care and were believed to be under the guidance of the great god Ptah.
The Giza Plateau, which houses the great pyramids , is located just outside the ancient city of Memphis and well within the influence of Ptah. Additionally, the earlier step pyramid of Djoser was constructed under direction from the famed architect Imhotep, who is said to have been the son of the ancient god.
Not only was this ancient Egyptian god depicted as a mummified man with green skin, but he also was the only god to be consistently portrayed with a straight beard , as opposed to a curved one. His unnatural skin tone was typically associated with growth and rebirth among the Egyptian pantheon, due to the color of vegetation.
In his role as the sustainer of life on Earth, Ptah was also the god of rebirth. It was unique among the Egyptian gods, however, in being straight instead of curved.
Egyptian pharaohs wore straight beards while alive to signify the power of Osiris. They donned beards that curved at the bottom after death. Many Egyptian gods have one or more tools or sacred items associated with them, and Ptah is no exception.
Apart from his beard and green skin, there are three symbols that almost always accompany depictions of this deity. They are the djed, was, and ankh , and often appear combined into a single staff.
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