Tickets
English
DonateMembership
Tickets

Scarab with blessing related to Amun

Third Intermediate Period
ca. 1080–664 BCE
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 130
Scarabs 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.). Given the limited surface on scarab bases, seal engravers were often very creative in using as few hieroglyphs and signs as possible in order to convey their message.

This scarab calls for the protection of the sun god Amun, alluded to here by the obelisk. The hieroglyphs next to it form the ancient Egyptian name of Thebes, Wast, where his main cult center was located. The entire inscription bestows a blessing upon the owner of the seal-amulet, saying that he will be granted a favor of Amun when he is in Thebes

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Scarab with blessing related to Amun
  • Period: Third Intermediate Period
  • Dynasty: Dynasty 21–25
  • Date: ca. 1080–664 BCE
  • Geography: From Egypt
  • Medium: Glazed steatite
  • Dimensions: L. 1.8 × W. 1.3 cm (11/16 × 1/2 in.)
  • Credit Line: Gift of Helen Miller Gould, 1910
  • Object Number: 10.130.618
  • Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Bowl with flutes f rom shoulder to rosette at base, silver
Bowl with flutes f rom shoulder to rosette at base
4th century BCE
Scarab with kneeling Nile god before obelisk, Steatite
Scarab with kneeling Nile god before obelisk
ca. 1300–945 BCE
Arched Harp (shoulder harp), Wood
Arched Harp (shoulder harp)
ca. 1386–1300 BCE
Box-form ornament with granulation, Gold
Box-form ornament with granulation
6th–4th century BCE
Scarab with a Kneeling Figure Before an Obelisk, Glazed steatite
Scarab with a Kneeling Figure Before an Obelisk
ca. 1080–664 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 contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.