An Unpublished Silver Toe Ring with A Fly (JE 70385)

Document Type : Original Article

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Faculty of Tourism and Hotels Management. Helwan University

Abstract

The ancient Egyptian mythology is ultimately a reflection of the ancient Egyptian culture, in which animals and insects were revered as embodiments of forces of life that transcended good and evil. The Egyptian glorification of insects is expressed through a wide spectrum of art, artifacts, and texts from the predynastic era to the Graeco-Roman period, revealing a variety of cultural roles, ranging from practical to conceptual. This paper aims at publishing a silver toe ring with a depiction of a fly that dates to the 3rd-6th century AD. It is currently preserved in the storerooms of the Egyptian Museum, Cairo (JE 70385). It was discovered by W. B. Emery in tomb 47 at Ballâna during his excavations in Lower Nubia between 1928 and 1931 as a rescue project before a second rising of the Aswan Low Dam. This paper also includes a comprehensive elaborate description of the silver toe ring as well as an analysis of the fly’s symbolism and genesis in Ancient Egypt. In addition, it sheds the light on tomb 47 at Ballâna, the identity of its owner, and some of its precious collections. The findings of studying the silver toe ring with a fly suggest that toe rings were exceedingly prevailing during the X-Group culture. Moreover, the presence of the fly on the ring’s bezel indicates that they were worn as magical amulets to protect its wearer and ward off the insect’s dangers.

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