Shu
Description
<p>Shu, the son of the creator and sun god in the Heliopolitan creation myth, represents the principle of air. Together with his consort, Tefnut- the principle of moisture, as well as Geb (earth) and Nut (sky), he was one of the first deities. Shu was responsible for separating Geb and Nut and securing the space of the universe; therefore he also represented the life principle. Amulets of Shu became popular in the Late Period. This amulet represents Shu in his standardized form. He is kneeling on his right knee with his left knee drawn up. Both arms are raised (to lift up the sky), and he wears a long wig and a pleated kilt.</p><p>For the latest information about this object, <cite><a href='https://purl.thewalters.org/art/48.1683' rel='external'>Shu</a></cite>, visit the Online Collection of the Walters Art Museum.</p>
AI image analysis GPT-5.4-nano
Machine-generated from the object's image on Jul 2026. Not curatorial; treat deities, names, and signs below as the model's best reading, not authority.
A small pale blue glazed faience figurine of a standing seated/standing male deity holding his arms out, with a wig-like headdress and a plinth-like base.
The object is a compact, light-blue faience figurine shown against a neutral background. The figure is modeled with a rounded head and a wig/headdress; both arms extend outward to the sides, and the hands are clenched/held in a bent pose. The torso and legs are simplified in relief/round sculpture, ending in a small base/plinth. A darkened band or strap-like detail appears across the lower torso/waist area, but finer painted or incised details are not clearly legible. No clear hieroglyphic text or cartouches are visible on the visible surfaces. The surface shows a glossy pale blue glaze consistent with small Egyptian faience artifacts.
Cross-references (2)
- Walters-AccNum 48.1683 tier-2
- Walters-id 37259 tier-2
About this record's data
- From the source institution — accession, description, dimensions, and dating are as catalogued by Walters Art Museum (Egyptian).
- AI-inferred — the image-analysis panel (deities, names, signs) is machine-generated and may be wrong.
- Approximate location — most map points are plotted at the site centroid, not the exact findspot.
- Inferred links — cross-references marked with a match method other than explicit-source-field were matched by us, not stated by the source.