Scarab ring of Sithathoryunet

Middle Kingdom

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 111

This superb example of an early ring was formed from gold and the beetle’s wing cases, thorax and head were inlaid with semi-precious stones. In the Middle Kingdom (ca. 2030-1650 B.C.), scarab beetles were the preferred design for a ring bezel as the scarab, a symbol of the sun gold Re, emerged as a popular amulet type. Thin gold wire was used to create a ring’s shank and was attached to the bezel in different ways, although most involved wrapping the ends of the wire neatly around the shank in a tight coil as can be seen here. The underside of this ring’s bezel is uninscribed.

Scarab ring of Sithathoryunet, Gold, carnelian, lapis lazuli, and turquoise, bedding material

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.

back

Scarab ring of Sithathoryunet, Gold, carnelian, lapis lazuli, and turquoise, bedding material
Scarab ring of Sithathoryunet, Gold, carnelian, lapis lazuli, and turquoise, bedding material
Scarab ring of Sithathoryunet, Gold, carnelian, lapis lazuli, and turquoise, bedding material

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