The
images on this page are drawn from my collection of (genuine) Egyptian artifacts,
not all of which are of Set. The rest of the collection appears on the next
page. Even though it was historically innacurate, I was pleased to see that
they included at least one image of Set in the movie "The Mummy". I never
get tired of looking at the giant image of Set on the obelisk. If only I made
enough money to bid for that prop...it would fit perfectly into my garden!
This Ptolemaic period bronze is part of a series of three
amulets found in the same tomb, comprising of a matched pair of amulets, Set
and Mayhes (the lord of slaughter), and a bronze leopard's head. (Pictures
of the other two items can be seen on the next page.) As the only people allowed
to wear the latter were pharaohs and high priests, it gives rise to some interesting
conjecture as to who the owner of the tomb, and what his connection with the
worship of Set actually was.
The
basalt amulet, although I originally thought it was Ptolemaic and thus not all
that old, actually turned out to be 26th dynasty, and particularly interesting
as there are few stone Sets in existence. The fact that it is stone means that
it was hand carved, rather than cast in a mold and mass-produced. This piece
was a birthday present from a dear friend, and highly prized by me.
All
of my amulets of Set came via my antiquities dealer, Frank, in Melbourne Australia.
All my other amulets, which include a 16th dynasty Anubis, Thoth, and a particularly
nice Sekhmet, came from the above-mentioned friend's shop, "Charley Weaver",
also in Melbourne. This bronze is from 640 b.c.
