Scarab Amulet with Geometric Pattern
Scarab Amulet with Geometric Pattern
Place of OriginEgypt
Date12th–14th Dynasties (1991–1650 BCE)
DimensionsH: 5/8 in. (1.6 cm); W: 1/2 in. (1.3 cm)
MediumSteatite
ClassificationSculpture
Credit LineGift of Mrs. William A. Rundell
Object number
1945.10
Not on View
DescriptionA small, carved amulet in the form of a scarab beetle. The object is composed of a white stone with a matte surface texture. The dorsal surface features the schematic, rounded shape of the beetle's wing case and head. The ventral (bottom) surface is flat and inscribed with an incised linear pattern.
Label TextThis small amulet is carved in the shape of a scarab beetle, a powerful ancient Egyptian symbol of rebirth and the sun god Khepri. The underside features a geometric line pattern, which was often used to stamp clay seals on documents or storage jars. While the surface is now a matte white stone, it may originally have been glazed in bright blue or green, which has worn away over millennia.
18th Dynasty (1550-1292 BCE), about 1381 BCE
Possibly Hyksos, shortly before 1580 BCE
16th–18th Dynasties (1650–1292 BCE)
26th Dynasty (664–525 BCE), about 600 BCE
18th Dynasty (1550-1292 BCE), about 1400 BCE
12th–18th Dynasties (1991–1292 BCE)
19th Dynasty (1292–1189 BCE)
12th Dynasty (1991–1802 BCE)
12th–18th Dynasties (1991–1292 BCE)
18th Dynasty (1550-1292 BCE), about 1400 BCE
19th Dynasty (1292–1189 BCE)
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