Made by hand in our partner workshop in China  ·  Shipped worldwide  ·  Every symbol comes with its sources
Atlas  /  For children  /  TaweretNo. 26
Plate INorth Africa · Ancient EgyptTaweret, drawn by Wishlore
Pl. ITaweret. A glazed amulet tablet, drawn as an emblem rather than a portrait of the goddess. Drawing: Wishlore.
No. 26  ·  For children  ·  North Africa

Taweret

A hippopotamus goddess of ancient Egypt. Small amulets of her survive, and Egyptians looked to her to watch over women in pregnancy and childbirth.

Earliest record
Egyptian amulet, 664–332 BC
Source
The Met, Taweret amulet
Region
North Africa · Ancient Egypt
Wish
For children
Layers
Record Folk Modern
Keep this symbol · from £2.99Read the sources
The story · three layers

The story, in three layers.

Record, Folk and Modern are kept apart, and each one carries its source.

I
Record
Egypt, 664–332 BC

A small amulet

The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds a small glazed amulet of Taweret, made in Egypt between 664 and 332 BC.

To verify: The material as the museum names it (faience?)

II
Folk
Ancient Egypt

What Egyptians believed

The museum’s note describes Taweret as a hippopotamus goddess who watched over pregnant women and childbirth. That was an ancient Egyptian belief, and we report it as one.

III
Modern
Wishlore, today

How we tell it

A wish for a child is a tender one. We tell what ancient Egyptians believed, and make no claim about pregnancy or birth.

Taweret
Egyptian amulet, 664–332 BC
Story and sources on the reverse
Pl. IIThe story card. Every printed piece carries the story and a code that opens the full source list.
Keep it close

How would you like to keep it?

Add to bag · £8
  • No jewellery for this symbol yet; story card and download only
  • Printed cards are made in our partner workshop in China and shipped worldwide
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Watch the story

The story, in a minute.

It opens with the pencil construction, then follows the record, how people used it, and the piece we make today. Every fact in it comes from the sources on this page.

Length
1:03
Narration
English, with subtitles on screen
Images
Pencil construction and the atlas drawing on this page, animated; no AI images; jewellery shown as a line drawing
Sources
Listed at the end of the film
Story film · 1:03 · Drawn from the atlas plate · no AI images
In one breath
A goddess Egyptians looked to in pregnancy and childbirth. Who would you keep it for?
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