1958.16
Pectoral of a Winged Scarab
Artist
Artist Unidentified (Egyptian)
Title
Pectoral of a Winged Scarab
Creation Date
ca. 1550 BCE
Century
16th century BCE
Dimensions
2 5/16 in. x 5 7/8 in. (5.8 cm. x 15 cm.)
Object Type
jewelry/adornment
Creation Place
Ancient Mediterranean, Egyptian
Medium and Support
faience
Credit Line
Bequest of Henry Johnson-Helen Chase Estate
Copyright
Public Domain
Accession Number
1958.16
The scarab was an important symbol in ancient Egyptian religion that drew inspiration from the Scarabaeus sacer, a beetle known to roll balls of dung. The Egyptians likened this behavior to that of Khepri, an iteration of the sun god Ra associated with the rising sun. Khepri, whose name appears as a scarab in hieroglyphs, was believed to roll the disk of the morning sun over the eastern horizon at dawn. Through this connection, the scarab symbolized this heavenly cycle as well as the idea of rebirth or regeneration. Heart and winged scarabs were used in funerary contexts and were either wrapped or sewn onto the chests of mummies. Meant to give energy and strength to the mummy’s heart, funerary scarabs were often made from dark green or black stone and blue faïence.
