The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of July 21, 2026

A polychrome faience amulet glazed in mottled turquoise blue depicts the figure Bes, squatting with hands on his hips and wearing a tall, fanned crown with vertical grooves. Pale yellow accents highlight his crown, chest, and feet. The object's weathered, pitted surface features areas of brown discoloration, emphasizing the figure's stout proportions and stylized face as he looks forward.

Amulet of Bes

30 BCE–395 CE

Egypt, Greco-Roman period

(332 BCE–395 CE), Roman empire (30 BCE–395 CE)
polychrome faience
Average: 3.7 x 1.8 x 0.7 cm (1 7/16 x 11/16 x 1/4 in.)
Bequest of James Parmelee 1940.653
Location: Not on view
  • Berman, Lawrence M., and Kenneth J. Bohač. Catalogue of Egyptian Art: The Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1999 Reproduced and Mentioned: p. 521
  • {{cite web|title=Amulet of Bes|url=false|author=|year=30 BCE–395 CE|access-date=21 July 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1940.653