Was sceptre
The uas, a staff that Flinders Petrie read as a shepherd’s stick: a sign of guidance and of rule.
Meaning
Petrie gives its meaning as guidance of the flock, noting that shepherds of his own day still used such a form, and its secondary sense as rule at Thebes. As an amulet he found it alone, or together with the Djed pillar and the Ankh. The British Museum’s 1904 guide lists a wooden uas sceptre in its collection, along with wooden staves for ceremonial use that end in forks.
See also
Eye of Horus, Scarab, Djed pillar, Shen ring, Cartouche, Tyet.
Sources
- Amulets, illustrated by the Egyptian collection in University College, London, W. M. Flinders Petrie, 1914, Constable and Company, London (Internet Archive), No. 54
- A guide to the third and fourth Egyptian rooms, British Museum, 1904, Internet Archive, Third Egyptian Room
Last reviewed September 25, 2026 by Rory Hansen. How we research