Winged scarabaeus

Image Not Available

Datedate unknown

MediumWood with remnants of paint

DimensionsOverall: 1 x 5.7 x 12.1 cm (3/8 x 2 1/4 x 4 3/4 in.)

Credit LineHamilton College Collection

Object numberINV.614

Not on view

DescriptionAmulets portraying deities, animals, objects, and symbols served protective purposes for both the living and the dead. Many were worn on necklaces and rings to transfer positive properties directly to their wearers. Scarab amulets, representative of regeneration and rebirth, were inscribed with prayers, votive texts, and the names of pharaohs and officials, and were worn both to ward off evils and to be used as seals on letters and official documents. Winged scarabs, however, served strictly funerary purposes. Winged scarabs were sewn into the bandages of a mummified individual or the bead net placed across their chest to ensure their safe passage into the afterlife. Winged scarabs were often accompanied on bead nets by amulets of the Four Sons of Horus, who were tasked with protecting the body in the afterlife. (Written by Kayley Boddy '22) Worn; tip of one of the wings is missing. Wooden; traces of red and black paint on body of beetle; black on wings; feathers alternating red and black. Carved wooden winged scarab with inscription pased on back. Painting faded, most detail lost. Inscription reads: "Winged scarabeus (beetle) sacred among the ancient Egyptians - and frequently found in their tombs - on the sarcophagi or the..."

Collections

Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Art

Additional Details

Alternate Titles Winged scarabaeus
Untitled - Wooden Winged Scarab

Exhibition History 2011
Clinton, NY. Fred L. Emerson Gallery, Hamilton College. "Learning to Look: Hamilton's Cabinets, Galleries and Museums Past, Present and Future," September 15 - December 16, 2011 (no cat.).

Provenance before c. 1960s: Hamilton College;
further provenance unknown.