Wedijat Eyes

  • Egypt
  • 1st century B.C. - 1st century A.D.
  • Glass
Catalogue Entry

These rectangular decorative plaques show images of eye, depicted in purple, white, red, yellow, blue, green and cobalt glass on grounds of turquoise, blue and black glass. The wedjat means "cured" and is the sacred left eye of the god of the heavens Horus. His left eye symbolized the moon while his right eye the sun. Horus is shown with a falcon's head, and this eye form, a human eye and a falcon's face were often combined as motifs. Horus's left eye was wounded in a battle with the god Seth, enemy of Horus's father Osiris, and legend has it that the moon god Toth healed the eye to its original form. The eye form was widely used as a protective image symbolizing a completed state or protection.