Scarabs with Inscriptions on Base
Ancient Egyptian
Early Middle Kingdom–New Kingdom, Dynasties 11–20 (about 2055–1069 BCE)
Medium
Glazed steatite
Dimensions
1 × 0.6 × 0.5 cm (3/8 × 1/4 × 3/16 in.)
Classification
faïence
Department
Arts of Africa
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
140254
About the Artist
Ancient Egyptian
Ancient Egyptian artists, a collective of highly skilled artisans spanning over three millennia from the Predynastic period (c. 6000–3150 BC) to the Roman era (30 BC–4th century AD), produced some of humanity's most enduring masterpieces. These anonymous craftsmen, often organized in state-sponsored workshops, lived in dedicated communities like Deir el-Medina near Luxor during the New Kingdom (c....