Scarab with Geometric Spirals
Description
<p>This steatite scarab has a flat underside with a vertically and horizontally arranged design of spiral scrolls. The design on the back of the scarab is detailed, with incised lines and regular flow. The proportions of the top are unbalanced, the piece is carefully made, and the workmanship is good. This scarab would have functioned as an amulet with renewal connotations, and should provide extensive and all-inclusive renewal. The piece would originally have been mounted or threaded. Spiral scrolls on scarabs were very popular in the Middle Kingdom and in the Hyksos Period. The meaning of the pattern is not clear, but it seems most likely that it expresses renewal and general support.</p><p>For the latest information about this object, <cite><a href='https://purl.thewalters.org/art/42.23' rel='external'>Scarab with Geometric Spirals</a></cite>, visit the Online Collection of the Walters Art Museum.</p>
Cross-references (2)
- Walters-AccNum 42.23 tier-2
- Walters-id 27190 tier-2
About this record's data
- From the source institution — accession, description, dimensions, and dating are as catalogued by Walters Art Museum (Egyptian).
- 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.