Scarab Inscribed with Hieroglyphs

Scarab Inscribed with Hieroglyphs

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The scarab is inscribed with papyrus plants flanking hieroglyphs, not meant to form words but chosen instead for their positive meaning. Symmetric compositions are particularly prevalent on design scarabs of the late Middle Kingdom (late Dynasty 12–Dynasty 13, ca. 1850 –1640 B.C.). They serve as models for the wide array of variations seen on Egyptian scarabs of the Second Intermediate Period (Dynasty 14–17, ca. 1640–1550 B.C.) and on Canaanite scarabs (Middle Bronze Age IIB-IIC, ca. 1700–1500 B.C.).

Egyptian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Scarab Inscribed with HieroglyphsScarab Inscribed with HieroglyphsScarab Inscribed with HieroglyphsScarab Inscribed with HieroglyphsScarab Inscribed with Hieroglyphs

The Met collection of ancient Egyptian art consists of approximately 30,000 objects of artistic, historical, and cultural importance, dating from about 300,000 BCE to the 4th century CE. A signifcant percentage of the collection is derived from the Museum's three decades of archaeological work in Egypt, initiated in 1906 in response to increasing interest in the culture of ancient Egypt.