Scarab Inscribed with a Blessing or Wish
The base of this scarab expresses a blessing related to abundance. It displays a heron, sitting on a hieroglyph as if on a perch, and a duck with the three strokes that indicate the plural.
The ancient Egyptians considered the heron to represent aspects of the gods Atum, Re and Osiris. This sacred heron, or Benu bird, is connected to acts of creation and renewal, which eventually lead the Greeks to assimilate it with the Phoenix. It is represented as a bird with tall legs, a long neck, a straight beak, and a two-feathered crest. As a hieroglyph, it can also mean ‘to overflow’. The duck with plural stands for abundance or provisions, for the living, for the dead, or for the gods.
The ancient Egyptians considered the heron to represent aspects of the gods Atum, Re and Osiris. This sacred heron, or Benu bird, is connected to acts of creation and renewal, which eventually lead the Greeks to assimilate it with the Phoenix. It is represented as a bird with tall legs, a long neck, a straight beak, and a two-feathered crest. As a hieroglyph, it can also mean ‘to overflow’. The duck with plural stands for abundance or provisions, for the living, for the dead, or for the gods.
Artwork Details
- Title: Scarab Inscribed with a Blessing or Wish
- Period: Third Intermediate Period
- Date: ca. 1070–664 B.C.
- Geography: From Egypt
- Medium: Limestone
- Dimensions: L. 1.7 × W. 1.3 × H. 0.8 cm (11/16 × 1/2 × 5/16 in.)
- Credit Line: Gift of Darius Ogden Mills, 1904
- Object Number: 04.2.784
- Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art
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278–270 B.C.
300–250 B.C.
ca. 2420–2389 B.C. or later
ca. 2575–2465 B.C.
ca 1525–1504 B.C.
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