Editing Ankh (section)

==Use in religion and art==
In Egyptian belief, life was a force that circulated throughout the world. Individual living things, including humans, were manifestations of this force and fundamentally tied to it.{{sfn|Finnestad|1989|pp=31–32}} Life came into existence at the [[ancient Egyptian creation myths|creation of the world]], and cyclical events like the rising and setting of the sun were thought of as reenactments of the original events of creation that maintained and renewed life in the cosmos. Sustaining life was thus the central function of the [[ancient Egyptian deities|deities]] who governed these natural cycles. Therefore, the ankh was frequently depicted being held in gods' hands, representing their life-giving power. The Egyptians also believed that when they died, their individual lives could be renewed in the same manner as life in general. For this reason, the gods were often depicted in tombs giving ankh signs to humans, usually the pharaoh.{{sfn|Tobin|1989|pp=197–198, 206–208}} As the sign represented the power to bestow life, humans other than the pharaoh were rarely shown receiving or holding the ankh before the end of the Middle Kingdom, although this convention weakened thereafter. The pharaoh to some extent represented Egypt as a whole, so by giving the sign to him, the gods granted life to the entire nation.{{sfn|Hill|2010|pp=240, 242}}

By extension of the concept of "life", the ankh could signify air or water. In artwork, gods hold the ankh up to the nose of the king: offering him the breath of life. [[Hand fan]]s were another symbol of air in Egyptian iconography, and the human servants who normally carried fans behind the king were sometimes replaced in artwork by personified ankh signs with arms. In scenes of ritual purification, in which water was poured over the king or a deceased commoner, the zigzag lines that normally represented water could be replaced by chains of ankh signs.{{sfn|Wilkinson|1992|pp=177–179}}

The ankh may have been used decoratively more than any other hieroglyphic sign. Mirrors, mirror cases, and floral bouquets were made in its shape, given that the sign was used in writing the name of each of these objects. Some other objects, such as libation vessels and [[sistra]], were also shaped like the sign. The sign appeared very commonly in the decoration of architectural forms such as the walls and shrines within [[Egyptian temple|temples]].{{sfn|Wilkinson|1992|p=177}} In contexts such as these, the sign often appeared together with the ''was'' and ''djed'' signs, which together signified "life, dominion, and stability". In some decorative [[frieze]]s in temples, all three signs, or the ankh and ''was'' alone, were positioned above the hieroglyph for a basket that represented the word "all": "all life and power" or "all life, power, and stability". Some deities, such as [[Ptah]] and [[Osiris]], could be depicted holding a ''was'' scepter that incorporated elements of the ankh and ''djed''.{{sfn|Wilkinson|1992|pp=181, 199}}

Amulets made in the shape of hieroglyphic signs were meant to impart to the wearer the qualities represented by the sign. The Egyptians wore amulets in daily life as well as placing them in tombs to ensure the well-being of the deceased in the afterlife. Ankh-shaped amulets first appeared late in the [[Old Kingdom of Egypt|Old Kingdom]] (c. 2700 to 2200 BC) and continued to be used into the late first millennium BC, yet they were rare, despite the importance of the symbol. Amulets shaped like a composite sign that incorporated the ankh, ''was'', and ''djed'' were more widespread.{{sfn|Andrews|1994|pp=6, 86, 107}}

Ankh signs in two-dimensional art were typically painted blue or black.{{sfn|Baines|1975|pp=18–19}} The earliest ankh amulets were often made of gold or [[electrum]], a gold and silver alloy. [[Egyptian faience]], a ceramic that was usually blue or green, was the most common material for ankh amulets in later times, perhaps because its color represented life and regeneration.{{sfn|Andrews|1994|pp=86–87}}

<gallery widths="180" heights="140">
File:Ceremonial Implement in the Shape of an Ankh MET 30.8.29 back rgb.jpg|An ankh made of [[Egyptian faience]]
File:Le roi Ramsès parmi les dieux (Louvre, B 13).jpg|The god [[Horus]] offers life to the king, [[Ramesses II]].
File:Anch.png|Ankh-shaped mirror case from the tomb of [[Tutankhamun]]
File:Banebdjed Tomb KV19.jpg|The god [[Banebdjedet]] with a scepter combining the ''[[Was sceptre|was]]'' and ''[[djed]]'' with the ankh
File:Deir el-Bahari 2016-03-25n.jpg|Frieze of ankh, ''djed'', and ''was'' signs atop the hieroglyph for "all"
File:Ankh particular.jpg|Detail of the ankh held from [[KV2]]
File:HieroglyphicInscriptionDeirElBahariWesternThebesEgypt1981.jpg|Hieroglyphic inscription at Deir el-Bahari featuring ''ankh''
</gallery>