Scarab with Representation of Bes

New Kingdom

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 130

This scarab calls upon the protection of the dwarf god Bes, represented here in a frontal posture. He bends his knees, between which his tail can be discerned, and holds both hands on his hips. He only wears a headdress, consisting of four straight feathers. As the ancient Egyptian god of fertility and the household, Bes was also the protector of mother and child. On seal-amulets, Bes was particularly popular during the Ramesside Period (ca. 1295-1070 B.C.) and numerous scarabs with this decoration have been found in Egypt, the Levant and throughout the Mediterranean region.

Scarab with Representation of Bes, Glazed steatite

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