Scarab with Bes Adoring an Obelisk
This scarab calls upon the protection of the dwarf god Bes, represented here facing to the right and raising both hands in a gesture of adoration towards an obelisk. He is represented with a tail, bent knees and he wears a headdress consisting of three straight feathers. As the ancient Egyptian god of fertility and the household, the Bes-image also protected mother and child. On seal-amulets, the Bes-image was particularly popular during the Ramesside Period (ca. 1295-1070 B.C.). The obelisk, a symbol referring to the sun god, and the sun disk above, underscore the solar symbolism of the scene.
Artwork Details
- Title: Scarab with Bes Adoring an Obelisk
- Period: New Kingdom
- Dynasty: Dynasty 19–20
- Date: ca. 1295–1070 B.C.
- Geography: From Egypt
- Medium: Steatite
- Dimensions: L. 1.7 × W. 1.3 cm (11/16 × 1/2 in.)
- Credit Line: Gift of Helen Miller Gould, 1910
- Object Number: 10.130.592
- Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art
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