Winged Scarab Amulet
Late Period, Dynasty 26 (664–525 BCE)
Medium
Faience
Dimensions
Scarab: 5.9 × 3.5 × 0.8 cm (2 3/8 × 1 7/16 × 3/8 in.); Proper Right Wing: 3 × 4.6 × 0.3 cm (1 3/16 × 1 13/16 × 1/8 in.); Proper Left Wing: 3 × 4.7 × 0.3 cm (1 3/16 × 1 7/8 × 1/8 in.)
Classification
scarab
Department
Arts of Africa
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
136093
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
A scarab amulet was often placed over the heart of a mummy to act as its protector. The wings allowed the scarab to join the daily rising and setting of the sun, a cycle that was equated with eternal death and rebirth.
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....