Scarab of Thutmose III
Description
Object Label: Personal Arts The reigns of Hatshepsut through Thutmose IV represent a transitional phase in Eighteenth Dynasty art. At first, artists continued to favor simple, elegant forms common earlier in the dynasty, but eventually they developed elaborate, highly detailed designs that dominated the dynasty’s final decades. Under Amunhotep II and Thutmose IV, for example, craftsmen increased the use of a soft, pastel blue pigment that had been invented during the reign of Thutmose III. Potters also molded vessels in human and animal form, and artisans rediscovered the Middle Kingdom fascination for colorful stones such as red carnelian. Art historians consider the scarabs (beetleshaped amulets) of this era among the finest ever made. Figure Vase of Woman Holding Dog Caption: Scarab of Thutmose III, ca. 1479–1425 B.C.E., or later. Steatite, glaze, 5/16 x 9/16 x 11/16 in. (0.9 x 1.4 x 1.8 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 37.513E. (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.
Small green-blue glazed scarab-like amulet with incised lines on the elytra and a small vertical element (possibly the suspension loop) above.
The image shows a close-up of a single scarab-shaped object displayed on a thin rod. The scarab body is predominantly green-blue, with darker incised/raised detailing across the top shell (elytra) and four short legs suggested at the lower corners. A vertical seam/line divides the front region, and there are faint markings on the back. Near the left side of the body there appears to be red-painted or encrusted pigment forming a short cluster of marks, but the characters cannot be read confidently from this angle and resolution. No clear cartouche, royal name, or legible hieroglyphic inscription is visible. Surrounding display hardware and other similar objects are out of focus and not relevant. The object is consistent in form with a scarab amulet, but the exact inscription identifying Thutmose III is not clearly legible here.
Cross-references (2)
- BKM-Accession 37.513E tier-2
- BKM-Object 4045 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.