Heart ScarabNew Kingdom-Late Period, 1569-333 BCE

On view:

Geffen Galleries

Small carved stone scarab beetle sculpture in dark slate green, viewed from a slightly elevated side angle, with a flat oval base and relief-carved legs

Polished jade plaque with smooth, rounded rectangular form in mottled green and gray tones, with a vertical column of red-painted inscription along the right edge.

Dark green stone scarab amulet on an oval base, with incised wing and leg details visible on the underside, polished surface with naturalistic beetle form.

Title: Heart Scarab
Place Made: Egypt
Date Made: New Kingdom-Late Period, 1569-333 BCE
Medium: Serpentine
Dimensions: 1 1/2 × 3/4 × 2 in. (3.81 × 1.91 × 5.08 cm)
Credit Line: Anonymous gift
Accession Number: AC1999.116.1
Classification: Jewelry and Adornments
Collecting Area: Egyptian Art
Curatorial Notes: In ancient Egypt, amulets in the form of a scarab beetle symbolized rebirth or regeneration, based on the observation of actual beetles pushing balls of dung to their nests, paralleling the daily rolling of the sun across the sky by the god Khepri. Large heart scarabs were often placed at the neck or within mummy wrappings and inscribed with a text with a specific purpose—to protect the deceased from a false proclamation by the heart. Ancient Egyptians believed that the heart held the memories, thoughts, and moral values of the deceased and had the ability to speak ill of the dead at the time of judgment. Only those who had led a righteous life would be able to live comfortably in the afterlife. Heart scarabs first appear in the Second Intermediate Period (1759−c. 1539 BCE). They were generally made of a black or dark green stone and inscribed on the flat bottom surface with a spell from chapter 30B of the Book of the Dead. This text was intended to prevent the heart from speaking in opposition to the deceased at the time of final judgment before the god Osiris.

Provenance: Sotheby’s London, 1982, sold to Peter Lacovara; Gift of Peter Lacovara to LACMA, 1999.
Provenance: Anonymous (sale London, Sotheby’s, 1982, sold to); Peter Lacovara, gift 1999 to; LACMA.

Related Unframed

A Peek into the Newly Reinstalled Ancient Egyptian Galleries

January 19, 2011

Heart ScarabNew Kingdom-Late Period, 1569-333 BCE

On view:

Geffen Galleries

Title: Heart Scarab
Place Made: Egypt
Date Made: New Kingdom-Late Period, 1569-333 BCE
Medium: Serpentine
Dimensions: 1 1/2 × 3/4 × 2 in. (3.81 × 1.91 × 5.08 cm)
Credit Line: Anonymous gift
Accession Number: AC1999.116.1
Classification: Jewelry and Adornments
Collecting Area: Egyptian Art
Curatorial Notes: In ancient Egypt, amulets in the form of a scarab beetle symbolized rebirth or regeneration, based on the observation of actual beetles pushing balls of dung to their nests, paralleling the daily rolling of the sun across the sky by the god Khepri. Large heart scarabs were often placed at the neck or within mummy wrappings and inscribed with a text with a specific purpose—to protect the deceased from a false proclamation by the heart. Ancient Egyptians believed that the heart held the memories, thoughts, and moral values of the deceased and had the ability to speak ill of the dead at the time of judgment. Only those who had led a righteous life would be able to live comfortably in the afterlife. Heart scarabs first appear in the Second Intermediate Period (1759−c. 1539 BCE). They were generally made of a black or dark green stone and inscribed on the flat bottom surface with a spell from chapter 30B of the Book of the Dead. This text was intended to prevent the heart from speaking in opposition to the deceased at the time of final judgment before the god Osiris.

Provenance: Sotheby’s London, 1982, sold to Peter Lacovara; Gift of Peter Lacovara to LACMA, 1999.
Provenance: Anonymous (sale London, Sotheby’s, 1982, sold to); Peter Lacovara, gift 1999 to; LACMA.

Related Unframed

A Peek into the Newly Reinstalled Ancient Egyptian Galleries

January 19, 2011