Photo of the Week: Ivory Djed Pillars
Most of the Djed amulets found in later tombs have been flat objects, usually no thicker than a quarter of its width. These flat representations of the Djed probably derived from the hieroglyphic renditions.
In this week’s photograph we have two ivory Djeds found at Helwan, which are from the First Dynasty. Here we can see that the Djed was originally more of a round pillar than a flat object. Being such old pieces, they give us valuable insight into the original design and therefore the original function of the Djed before it became a flat icon.
Ivory Djed Pillars from Helwan. Photo by JD Degreef.
You can read more about the meaning and significance of the Djed pillar in an article that I wrote a few years ago for Duat Magazine: Concept of The Djed Symbol.
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