Scarab seal
Unknown Artist
ca. 6th century BCE
Medium
Jasper, green
Dimensions
Seal Face: 1.43 x 1.17 cm Height: 0.95 String Hole: 0.25
Classification
Stone-Stamp Seals
Period
Iron Age, Phoenicia (?)
Department
Ancient Near Eastern Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of W. Gedney Beatty, 1941
Accession Number
41.160.164
Art Historical Context
Welcome to the Ancient Near Eastern Art gallery at the Metropolitan Museum of Art where this exquisite *Scarab seal*, dating to around the 6th century, offers a glimpse into Iron Age Phoenicia—or a closely related culture. Crafted from vibrant green jasper, a durable and precious stone prized for its color and hardness, this tiny artifact measures just 1. x 1.17 cm on its seal face, with a height of 0.95 cm and a practical string hole of 0.25 cm. Its beetle-shaped form, typical of scarabs, was ingeniously carved to create impressions when rolled or stamped into clay or wax. These stone-stamp ...