Scarab Inscribed with Blessing Related to Amun (Amun-Re)

Third Intermediate Period

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 130

Scarabs bearing wishes and blessings related to divinities whose protection individuals wished to summon are particular popular during the late New Kingdom and the Third Intermediate Period (ca. 1295-664 B.C.). Given the limited surface on scarab bases, seal carvers were often very creative in using as few hieroglyphs and signs as possible in order to convey their message.

This scarab calls for the protection of the sun god Amun or Amun-Re, referred to by the image of the solar barque. The djed-pillar and the circle form Djedw, the city that is known to us by its Greek name, Busiris. This seal-amulet therefore bears a blessing directed to Amun-Re, beloved of the city of Busiris.

Scarab Inscribed with Blessing Related to Amun (Amun-Re), Faience

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.