Sterling silver Egyptian ankh pendant necklace

In lovely vintage condition. Pendant has been tested and is sterling silver but there is no marking. Chain is silvertone. The ankh, also known as the key of life or the key of the Nile, is a symbol that comes from ancient Egypt. Though its physical origins are uncertain, scholars believe it originated around the 30th to the 29th century BC. The symbol is similar to a cross, but the ankh displays a teardrop shape in place of the upper vertical bar. Although the ankh is the Egyptian symbol of life, it has several related symbolic meanings as well. The ankh meaning can also be seen as representing water, air, and sun, all elements required for life. Since the symbol is often found on stone coffins, or sarcophagi, many believe the ankh may also represent the union of heaven and earth. The ankh was one of the few ancient Egyptian artistic motifs that continued to be used after the Christianity spread in Egypt during the 4th and 5th centuries AD. The sign resembles the staurogram, a sign that resembles a Christian cross with a loop to the right of the upper bar and was used by early Christians as a monogram for Jesus, as well as the crux ansata, or "handled cross", which is shaped like an ankh with a circular rather than oval or teardrop-shaped loop. Egyptian Coptic Church has adopted the ankh as a holy symbol and variant of the cross of Christ.