Blue-Glazed Throw Stick of Akhenaten

This blue glazed amuletic wand or throw stick, inscribed for king Akhenaten with the protective Wedjat-eye, showcases the evolving artistic and ritual sensibilities of the Amarna Period.

Unlike earlier boomerang-shaped hunting sticks, its shallow curve and delicate form suggest a ceremonial or symbolic function, perhaps as a ritual baton or club. Each side is adorned with painted lotus-flower motifs, emblematic of rebirth and divine harmony.

Crafted from ground quartz and copper minerals, the object’s vivid glaze reflects the distinctive artistic expression and spiritual ideals of Akhenaten’s reign.

The throw stick measures at 39 centimetres long, 9 centimetres high, and 2 centimetres thick, with a weight of just 0.23 kilograms, light enough to be handled with ease. Both the front and back of the stick bear hieroglyphic inscriptions, including either Akhenaten’s personal name (nomen) or his throne name (prenomen), indicating his royal association.

Beginning in the Old Kingdom and continuing through the Eighteenth Dynasty, depictions of kings and commoners hunting birds in the marshes graced the walls of tombs and temples. The act of fowling was layered with meaning: for some, it represented a leisure pursuit the deceased wished to continue in the afterlife; for others, it was charged with religious significance. Egyptian swamps carried erotic connotations, and intriguingly, the word for throw stick (gmʒ) closely resembles the word for “beget” or “create.” Thus, these fowling scenes may have been intended to ensure fertility and regeneration in the world beyond.

This cultural significance extended into royal practice. The tombs of 18th Dynasty rulers such as Tutankhamun and Ay depict their subjects hurling throw sticks at birds with verve, while wooden examples, some used in actual hunts, were interred with Amenhotep II and Tutankhamun. Yet, the throw stick’s role was not solely practical. Ceremonial versions crafted from blue glazed composition, inscribed for monarchs and adorned with protective symbols, were undoubtedly ritualistic, unsuited for the rigours of marshland sport but potent as symbols of royal authority and divine favour.