Keywords: Egyptian - Scarab of Hatshepsut - Walters 4260 - Bottom (2).jpg The ancient Egyptians believed that the dung beetle the Scarabaeus sacer was one of the manifestations of the sun god Representations of these beetles were used as amulets and for ritual or administrative purposes This scarab has a vertically arranged left reading bottom inscription framed by an oval line It contains the name of the female pharaoh Hatshepsut and an epithet expressing her relation to the god Amun The name of Amun is dominant by size and positioning in comparison to the royal name The hieroglyphs are well carved but slightly irregular and the forms and arrangement typical for the early 18th Dynasty The highest point of the scarabs back is the pronotum dorsal plate of the protorax Pronotum and elytron wing cases have single border and separation lines V-shaped shoulder marks represent the humeral callosities shoulder thickenings The rectangular head has a semicircular insert and is flanked by two-stage quarter-spherical eyes The trapezoidal side plates have curved outer edges and borderlines and the clypeus front plate four frontal serrations and two central base notches The extremities have natural form and show vertical hatch lines on the upper side of the fore- and midlegs for the tibial teeth and pilosity hair The oval base is symmetrical The scarab is longitudinally pierced was originally mounted or threaded and used as an amulet It should secure the special relation between Hatshepsut and the god Amun and provide a private owner with her royal patronage There are many different variations of scarabs with the throne name of Hatshepsut and a variety of different epithets; the epithet beloved of Amun was not only for her a very popular one between 1479 1458 BC New Kingdom light red-brown steatite with green-blue glaze cm 1 4 1 0 7 accession number 42 60 31419 Henry Walters Baltimore date and mode of acquisition unknown Walters Art Museum Henry Walters Acquired by Henry Walters Translation Throne name of the female King Hatshepsut without cartouche and combined with an Amun related epithet Maat-ka-Re beloved of Amun place of origin Egypt <gallery> File Egyptian - Scarab of Hatshepsut - Walters 4260 - Bottom jpg </gallery> Walters Art Museum license 2D Ancient Egyptian scarabs in the Walters Art Museum Hieroglyphs on scarabs Hatshepsut Media contributed by the Walters Art Museum needs category review |