Inlay in the Form of a Scarabeus
Description
Object Label: Most cat statues of this type served as containers for cat mummies. Because this statue is solid, it must have functioned differently, perhaps as a temple offering. A scarab, symbolizing the morning sun, was frequently placed between the ears of such cats, perhaps an artistic interpretation of the stripes on a cat’s fur. Caption: Inlay in the Form of a Scarabeus, 305 B.C.E.–1st century C.E.. Glass, 5/8 x 1/4 x 1 1/8 in. (1.7 x 0.7 x 2.8 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 37.1157E. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)
AI image analysis GPT-4o-2024-08-06
Machine-generated from the object's image on May 2026. Not curatorial; treat deities, names, and signs below as the model's best reading, not authority.
A close-up image of a blue scarab set into a larger object.
The image depicts a blue scarab beetle inlay, likely set in bronze or another metal. The scarab appears to be made of a blue stone or faience and is embedded into the surface, which shows signs of oxidation or corrosion, suggesting the use of copper or bronze. The style suggests it may be part of a larger artifact, possibly ceremonial or decorative.
Cross-references (2)
- BKM-Accession 37.1157E tier-2
- BKM-Object 117730 tier-2
About this record's data
- From the source institution — accession, description, dimensions, and dating are as catalogued by Brooklyn Museum — Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art.
- AI-inferred — the image-analysis panel (deities, names, signs) is machine-generated and may be wrong.
- Approximate location — most map points are plotted at the site centroid, not the exact findspot.
- Inferred links — cross-references marked with a match method other than explicit-source-field were matched by us, not stated by the source.