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Scarab Inscribed with 'Wenenefer'

Third Intermediate Period or later
ca. 1080–525 BCE
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 130
Three hieroglyphs are inscribed on the base of this scarab, forming together wenen-nefer, which is best translated as ‘to exist (in) perfect (state)’. Wenenefer is subsequently an expression generally associated with the god Osiris, the god of the underworld; it refers to his resurrection and the ability to overcome physical deterioration after death. This scarab either calls upon the divine protection of Osiris, or the inscription forms the personal name Wenenefer or Weneneferu, which was a common name for men from the New Kingdom (ca. 1550-1295 B.C.) onwards.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Scarab Inscribed with 'Wenenefer'
  • Period: Third Intermediate Period or later
  • Dynasty: Dynasty 21–26
  • Date: ca. 1080–525 BCE
  • Geography: From Egypt
  • Medium: Faience
  • Dimensions: L. 1.4 × W. 1.1 cm (9/16 × 7/16 in.)
  • Credit Line: Gift of Helen Miller Gould, 1910
  • Object Number: 10.130.663
  • Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art

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