Scarab with Hathor emblem

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Hathor emblem at the center of this scarab has a tall striated element on top of her head. Some have thought this is derived from a fringe of hair – like a cow’s – seen on early Bat symbols, others have interpreted it as a low reed crown. In later periods this element is assimilated to a podium or a cornice. Papyrus clumps figure at either side.

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