Scarab with Bes Adoring an Obelisk

Unknown

ca. 1295–1070 B.C. · Steatite · Egyptian Art

This scarab calls upon the protection of the dwarf god Bes, represented here facing to the right and raising both hands in a gesture of adoration towards an obelisk. He is represented with a tail, bent knees and he wears a headdress consisting of three straight feathers. As the ancient Egyptian god of fertility and the household, the Bes-image also protected mother and child. On seal-amulets, the Bes-image was particularly popular during the Ramesside Period (ca. 1295-1070 B.C.). The obelisk, a symbol referring to the sun god, and the sun disk above, underscore the solar symbolism of the scene.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1295–1070 B.C.

Medium

Steatite

Department

Egyptian Art

Credit line

Gift of Helen Miller Gould, 1910