Shen ring
A circle of cord, the shen: a sign of eternity to Wallis Budge, and of the fullness of life to Flinders Petrie.
Meaning
Budge explains the shen as the orbit of the sun, which came to stand for an undefined stretch of time, eternity; gods are shown kneeling with their hands resting on it. It was painted on stelae and coffins, and as an amulet was commonly made of lapis lazuli or carnelian. Petrie gives its sense as “benefits of life”, the fullness of the gains and rewards of life, and found it worn in the top row of amulets, beside the Cartouche.
See also
Cartouche, Eye of Horus, Scarab, Djed pillar, Was sceptre, Cartouche.
Sources
- Egyptian Magic, E. A. Wallis Budge, 1901, Internet Archive (Getty Research Institute copy), Amulet 18
- Amulets, illustrated by the Egyptian collection in University College, London, W. M. Flinders Petrie, 1914, Constable and Company, London (Internet Archive), No. 81
Last reviewed September 25, 2026 by Rory Hansen. How we research