Scarab with the Representation of a Hand

New Kingdom or Third Intermediate Period

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 130

The underside of this scarab shows a hand. This motif appears on seal-amulets during the Ramesside Period (Dynasty 19-20, ca. 1295-1070 B.C.) until the Third Intermediate Period. Its precise meaning is unclear but it probably refers to protection and wards off evil.

Scarab with the Representation of a Hand, Steatite

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