Scarab with Two Figures Holding a Scepter
Two figures stand on either side of a large was-scepter, which they each grasp. They wear a head cloth or wig, topped by an oval with two vertical extensions. These possibly refers to the papyrus stalks seen on the head of fertility gods such as the Nile god Hapy. On scarabs, these fertility gods are often depicted as a pair standing on either side of the sema-tawy, the symbol of the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt. The central element in this scene is, however, the was-scepter, a symbol of power and strength.
Artwork Details
- Title: Scarab with Two Figures Holding a Scepter
- Period: Late Period ?
- Dynasty: Dynasty 26 ?
- Date: ca. 664–525 B.C.
- Geography: From Egypt
- Medium: Faience or glass
- Dimensions: L. 1.5 × W. 1.1 × H. 0.8 cm (9/16 × 7/16 × 5/16 in.)
- Credit Line: Gift of Helen Miller Gould, 1910
- Object Number: 10.130.694
- Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art
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332–30 BCE
332–30 BCE
332–30 BCE
390–246 BCE
4th century B.C.
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