Pectoral of Opposing Seth and Hieracosphinx

This remarkable pectoral depicts, on its right side, the god Seth, representing southern Egypt, and on the left, a hieracosphinx symbolising Horus, the divine protector of northern Egypt. At the centre lies an emblem of the goddess Hathor, a motif that was already ancient by the time of the Middle Kingdom.

The beautifully worked back of the pectoral is the surviving highlight, while the front, originally adorned with semiprecious stone inlays, has lost most of its embellishments. The hieracosphinx, a creature with the head of a hawk and the body of a lion, takes its name from Herodotus, who coined the term after observing such figures in Egypt, distinguishing them from the ram-headed criosphinxes. Amun-Re, the solar deity, is also sometimes depicted as a sphinx or a man bearing the head of a hawk, further linking the imagery to the divine symbolism of kingship and the sun.

This pectoral dates to the Middle Kingdom, specifically the Twelfth Dynasty, and is thought to originate from the reign of either Senusret II or Senusret III, circa 1897–1841 B.C.

Crafted from electrum, it retains traces of its original inlays of lapis lazuli, carnelian, and amazonite. The piece measures 3.8 centimetres in height (1½ inches) and 5.7 centimetres in width (2¼ inches).

Said to have been discovered at Dahshur, it once formed part of the collection of Major William Joseph Myers (1858–1899) and is now housed in the Myers Museum at Eton College (Cat.74).