Scarab with the Representation of a Sphinx

Third Intermediate Period

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 130

A recumbent sphinx – a mythological creature with the body of a lion and the head of a man – faces right, wearing the nemes-headcloth with a small aroused cobra on its front. The sphinx is a royal symbol, referring to the pharaoh. The sign for praise (hes) and the hieroglyph of the palace indicate that the composition may read ‘praise to the lord of the palace’.

Scarab with the Representation of a Sphinx, Steatite

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Scarab with the Representation of a Sphinx, Steatite
Scarab with the Representation of a Sphinx, Steatite
Scarab with the Representation of a Sphinx, Steatite
Scarab with the Representation of a Sphinx, Steatite

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