Scarab Inscribed for the God's Wife Hatshepsut

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Two ring bezels were found among the hand bones of a child who was buried in the tomb of Hatnefer, the mother of Senenmut who was an important official in the reign of Hatshepsut (see 30.3 1 and 30.3.17). This bezel contains a beautifully carved scarab inscribed with Hatshepsut's personal name and her title God's Wife. This title was acquired by Hatshepsut while she was the principal queen of her half-brother, Thutmose II. Soon after taking on the titles of king, the title passed to Hatshepsut's daughter, Neferure (see 27.3.324–27.3.327). The scarab is similar in style and quality to those found in the foundation deposits of Hatshepsut's temple at Deir el-Bahri, but the inscription differs slightly (see esp. 27.3.174–27.3.191)

Egyptian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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.

Metropolitan Museum of Art