Scarab Inscribed with a New Year's Wish
Seal-amulets bearing wishes and blessings related to divinities whose protection individuals wished to summon are particular popular during the (late) New Kingdom and the Third Intermediate Period (ca. 1295-664 B.C.).
The hieroglyphs and motifs engraved on the base of this amulet express a wish for the New Year. At the top is a pair of cow’s horns (meaning ‘to open’) with a sun disk between them. In the center, we see the oval hieroglyph for island surrounding a horizontal stroke representing the water. According to ancient Egyptian cryptography, the oval with water line forms the name of the god Amun. Cryptographic writing makes use of standard signs’ atypical values and introduces alternative signs based on such principles as acrophony, generally with the objective to form divine names. The hieroglyph for good and beautiful and the palm branch, the sign for year, complete the inscription, asking the sun god –literally – to ‘open a good year’.
The hieroglyphs and motifs engraved on the base of this amulet express a wish for the New Year. At the top is a pair of cow’s horns (meaning ‘to open’) with a sun disk between them. In the center, we see the oval hieroglyph for island surrounding a horizontal stroke representing the water. According to ancient Egyptian cryptography, the oval with water line forms the name of the god Amun. Cryptographic writing makes use of standard signs’ atypical values and introduces alternative signs based on such principles as acrophony, generally with the objective to form divine names. The hieroglyph for good and beautiful and the palm branch, the sign for year, complete the inscription, asking the sun god –literally – to ‘open a good year’.
Artwork Details
- Title: Scarab Inscribed with a New Year's Wish
- Period: Third Intermediate Period
- Dynasty: Dynasty 21–25
- Date: ca. 1070–664 B.C.
- Geography: From Egypt
- Medium: Faience
- Dimensions: L. 1.3 cm (1/2 in.)
- Credit Line: Theodore M. Davis Collection, Bequest of Theodore M. Davis, 1915
- Object Number: 30.8.960
- Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
ca. 1390–1352 B.C.
ca. 1961–1878 B.C.
332–30 BCE
332–30 BCE
332–30 BCE
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.