Relief of the Ankh

The ankh or key of life is an ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic symbol that was most commonly used in writing and in Egyptian art to represent the word for “life” and, by extension, as a symbol of life itself. The ankh has a cross shape but with a teardrop-shaped loop in place of an upper bar.

A detail of a carving in base of a limestone column from the New Kingdom Period, ca. 1550-1070 BC, Memphis.