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Source Description
The ancient Egyptians believed that the dung beetle, the Scarabaeus sacer, was one of the manifestations of the sun god. Representations of these beetles were used as amulets, and for ritual or administrative purposes. The bottom of this scarab displays a short, vertical inscription in an oval frame, which refers to the appearance of the sun god. It is enclosed by eight elongated, Z-shaped, interlocked spiral scroll elements. The numerical arrangement of the eight spiral scrolls is: 1+2x3+1 = 8. The bottom inscription and spiral décor is very precise and regularly incised, and the layout very well organized and symmetrically arranged. The highest point of the back is the partition between pronotum (dorsal plate of the prothorax) and elytron (wing cases), which is also defined by two short side-notches at shoulder height. As additional decoration run two deeply incised branches from the head to the middle of the elytron where they cross each other and end in one lotus blossom. The trapezoidal head is flanked by rectangular eyes; the side plates are irregular trapezoidal, and the clypeus (front plate) has five frontal serrations, and a central base notch. The raised, slender extremities have natural form and vertical hatch lines for the tibial teeth and pilosity (hair). The long-oval base is symmetrically. The scarab is longitudinally pierced, was originally mounted or threaded, and functioned as an amulet. It should secure the presence and renewal of the sun god, and for a private owner his divine support and renewal (eight spiral scrolls). The head and the back design with branches secure the dating in the 13th-15th dynasty.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
23010
label
Scarab Amulet
core
obj
dtoType
object
citationUrl
pageCount
6
Source metadata
id
23010
sourceUrl
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Scarab Amulet
description
The ancient Egyptians believed that the dung beetle, the Scarabaeus sacer, was one of the manifestations of the sun god. Representations of these beetles were used as amulets, and for ritual or administrative purposes. The bottom of this scarab displays a short, vertical inscription in an oval frame, which refers to the appearance of the sun god. It is enclosed by eight elongated, Z-shaped, interlocked spiral scroll elements. The numerical arrangement of the eight spiral scrolls is: 1+2x3+1 = 8. The bottom inscription and spiral décor is very precise and regularly incised, and the layout very well organized and symmetrically arranged. The highest point of the back is the partition between pronotum (dorsal plate of the prothorax) and elytron (wing cases), which is also defined by two short side-notches at shoulder height. As additional decoration run two deeply incised branches from the head to the middle of the elytron where they cross each other and end in one lotus blossom. The trapezoidal head is flanked by rectangular eyes; the side plates are irregular trapezoidal, and the clypeus (front plate) has five frontal serrations, and a central base notch. The raised, slender extremities have natural form and vertical hatch lines for the tibial teeth and pilosity (hair). The long-oval base is symmetrically. The scarab is longitudinally pierced, was originally mounted or threaded, and functioned as an amulet. It should secure the presence and renewal of the sun god, and for a private owner his divine support and renewal (eight spiral scrolls). The head and the back design with branches secure the dating in the 13th-15th dynasty.
provenance
Prof. Newberry (?); Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1911, by purchase (?); Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
date
1794-1539 BCE (Late Middle Kingdom-early Second Intermediate Period)
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
Precious Stones & Gems
scarabs
amulets
imageCount
6
pageCount
6
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
2
height
1.3
depth
0.8
dimensionsRaw
H: 13/16 x W: 1/2 x D: 5/16 in. (2 x 1.3 x 0.8 cm)
Source extras
cul
Egyptian
inscriptions
[Translation] The Ka of Re appears.
dynasty
13th-15th Dynasty
med
light beige steatite (originally glazed)
creator_ids
6182
15541
collection_ids
EGY
ANE
exhibition_ids
none
Page inventory
seq
1
type
photo
mediaId
0f243447a670bb74
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
2
type
photo
mediaId
e12cd1a0a072f53e
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
3
type
photo
mediaId
e87e6ec7a07e533d
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
4
type
photo
mediaId
268824e119744eb7
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
5
type
photo
mediaId
54dac474f5524e16
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
6
type
photo
mediaId
8f4ae9605f03ab0e
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no