What does this Nubian pectoral tell us about the afterlife? Pectorals are ornaments worn over the chest, often with religious symbolism. This one was not designed for a living person. Instead, it was created specifically for a king’s burial. It depicts the goddess Isis in a kneeling pose, with her wings outstretched in a protective gesture. Do you see the subtly pierced tabs on the tips of Isis’s wings? These would have been used to sew the pectoral to the linen mummy wrappings of the Napatan king Amaninatakelebte (538-519 BC). The object was excavated from his tomb. In the goddess’s left hand is a sail, representing breath, and in her right hand is an ankh, representing life. Perhaps this pectoral bestowed “the breath of life” upon Amaninatakelebte in the afterlife. Enjoy this gold pectoral and other stunning jewelry in “Nubia: Jewels of Ancient Sudan” on view now at the Getty Villa Museum. Image: Pectoral with Isis, 538–519 B.C., Nubian. Harvard University-Boston Museum of ...