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Amulet Carved in Intaglio (Incised)

6th–7th century
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 302
Inscriptions identify the subject of this amulet as the Woman with the Issue of Blood (Mark 5:25–34; Luke 8:43–48). On the reverse a woman stands in the orant (prayer) pose. Hematite was believed to stop the flow of blood and was a favorite medium for amulets related to female reproductive health and menstrual problems.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Amulet Carved in Intaglio (Incised)
  • Date: 6th–7th century
  • Geography: Made in Byzantine Egypt
  • Culture: Byzantine (Egypt)
  • Medium: Hematite, silver mount
  • Dimensions: Overall: 1 15/16 x 1 7/16 x 3/8 in. (5 x 3.7 x 1 cm)
    Hematite: 1 7/8 x 1 7/16 x 3/8 in. (4.8 x 3.6 x 1 cm)
  • Classification: Lapidary Work-Hematite
  • Credit Line: Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
  • Object Number: 17.190.491
  • Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters

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