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Scarab with the Representation of a Lion

New Kingdom
ca. 1550–1080 BCE
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 130
The underside of the scarab shows a recumbent lion facing to the right. On scarabs, the lion is often accompanied by hieroglyphs such as the sign of life, the uraeus or, as is the case on this scarab, a sun disk. The lion appears already on scarabs of the early Middle Kingdom, but is especially popular during the Second Intermediate Period and the New Kingdom. The association with the sun disk does not exclude that it embodies here the lion goddess (Sakhmet) as the Eye of Re.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Scarab with the Representation of a Lion
  • Period: New Kingdom
  • Dynasty: Dynasty 18–20
  • Date: ca. 1550–1080 BCE
  • Geography: From Egypt
  • Medium: Steatite
  • Dimensions: L. 1.4 cm (9/16 in.)
  • Credit Line: Bequest of Benjamin Altman, 1913
  • Object Number: 14.40.745
  • Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art

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