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-5.4-nano
Machine-generated from the object's image on Jul 2026. Not curatorial; treat deities, names, and signs below as the model's best reading, not authority.
A small, stylized scarab-shaped inlay/amulet figure with large ears and a rounded face, with a blue circular inlay centered on the forehead or upper body.
The image shows a single object photographed against a plain light background. The form is a scarab/chequer-like amulet motif: two prominent raised side projections resembling ears/legs flank a central face. The face has three incised or molded features: two almond-shaped eye depressions and a small central mouth/nose mark. A small, circular blue element (glass-like) is set centrally on the upper surface, consistent with an inlay. The rest of the object appears brownish with a rough, worn surface, suggesting a dark stone or metal substrate that has patinated. No clear borders of a cartouche or hieroglyph bands are visible. No additional text is readable.
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.