Scarab with Representation of Baal

New Kingdom

ca. 1295–1070 B.C.

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 122

The underside of the scarab shows a standing male figure facing right, wearing a high conical headdress with a long streamer at the back and horns protruding from the front. He holds the Egyptian was-scepter, a symbol of power held by deities or royal figures. In front of him sits a figure of Maat, the Egyptian goddess of truth and justice, identified by the ostrich feather on her head. Even though similar in shape, the man’s headdress should not be mistaken for an Egyptian White or Double Crown worn by the pharaoh; it is the headdress of the Levantine storm god Baal. Depictions of Baal appear in Egypt around the end of the Middle Kingdom, but his image is more prevalent in Egyptian art of the New Kingdom and reaching a peak in the Ramesside period, when several Levantine gods became important in Egypt. This is partially attributed to the fact that certain of these deities (such as Baal and Resheph) have martial traits, which appealed to the New Kingdom pharaohs’ military aspirations. The presence of the figure of Maat and the style in which the incisions are made indicate that this example dates to the Ramesside period (Dynasty 19–20, ca. 1295–1070 B.C.).

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Title: Scarab with Representation of Baal
Period: New Kingdom
Dynasty: Dynasty 19–20 (Ramesside)
Date: ca. 1295–1070 B.C.
Geography: From Egypt, Memphite Region, Lisht North, Cemetery, MMA excavations, 1906–07
Medium: Black steatite
Dimensions: L. 2 × W. 1.5 × H. 0.9 cm (13/16 × 9/16 × 3/8 in.)
Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1909
Object Number: 09.180.1070
Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art

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