Scarab with Hieroglyphs

Middle Kingdom

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 109

Symmetric compositions of hieroglyphs creating a positive meaning are very popular on scarab amulets during the Middle Kingdom. This scarab shows the sign for endurance (djed) between signs of life (ankh) and a royal symbol, the bee. These hieroglyphs convey benevolent concepts, aimed at providing the owner of the amulet with protection and support. The manner in which the details of the back and sides of the scarab are incised, allows dating the scarab to the late Middle Kingdom (late Dynasty 12–Dynasty 13, ca. 1850–1640 B.C.).

Scarab with Hieroglyphs, Bright blue glazed steatite

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.

Scarab with Hieroglyphs, Bright blue glazed steatite
Scarab with Hieroglyphs, Bright blue glazed steatite
Scarab with Hieroglyphs, Bright blue glazed steatite
Scarab with Hieroglyphs, Bright blue glazed steatite

This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.