WALTERS-EG
Walters Art Museum (Egyptian) · jewelry
Scarab with the Squatting Goddess Maat
Description
<p>This steatite scarab is carved with a design and inscription on the bottom that signifies divine support and can be interpreted to read three ways: "Praised is the Maat of Re," "Favorite of Amun(-Re)," or "Praised is the Maat of Amun." The top of the piece is high and is carved with a combination of icons and script signs. This design is not standardized and the style is inconsistent. The execution of the back and bottom differ slightly, the bottom design is more elaborate. It is possible that a different specialist carved the much smaller figures and script signs of the bottom. This piece functioned as an amulet with royal connotations, and was originally mounted or threaded. The motif on the back praises the Maat of Amun/Re and the bottom inscription notes the special relation of the Nubian monarchy to Re and Amun. Furthermore, the presence of Taweret adn Ptah-Sokar-Osiris addresses magic protection and renewal. The representations of the two royal worshippers may refer to the legitimacy of the Kushite kings, and their responsibility for Egypt and Nubia granted by Amun. The scarab combines unique motifs and inscriptions, and the question of authenticity has to be raised. Nevertheless, there is a scarab of the 26th Dynasty, excavated in Acco, which shows a comparable layout, but with very different icons. Furthermore, the combination fo icons and text on the Walters' scarab is meaningful in the addressed Kushite time frame, and the style consistent.</p><p>For the latest information about this object, <cite><a href='https://purl.thewalters.org/art/42.29' rel='external'>Scarab with the Squatting Goddess Maat</a></cite>, visit the Online Collection of the Walters Art Museum.</p>
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.
A worn, roughly oval scarab/seal-like amulet carved in relief with a central figure and attendant or surrounding iconography, backed by rays or patterned fields. No clear cartouche or readable text is visible.
The object appears to be a small scarab-shaped/oval amulet with a flat-to-slightly convex carved front. The main field contains a human figure depicted standing or squatting within a rectangular register-like border, with a long staff/handle-like element and another staff or implement indicated to the sides. Behind and around the figure there is a radiating pattern or striped fan, suggesting a symbolic background. The carving is heavily abraded, obscuring finer details of faces, limbs, and any potential attribute markings that would securely identify the specific deity named in the catalogue. There are no clearly legible hieroglyphic signs or other scripts (Greek/Coptic/Arabic) visible at this resolution. Edges show chipping and surface loss consistent with age and handling.
decorative
ancient Egyptian (date/style uncertain; likely Middle–New Kingdom or later based on general scarab/amuletic style, but unclear)
fragmentary
Deities
Maat (uncertain due to abrasion)
Materials
beige steatite (catalogue ground truth; surface color matches)
Inscriptions (4)
Inscription #1
English description
[Translation] On back, translation option 1: Praised is the Maat of Re.;
Inscription #2
English description
[Translation] On back, translation option 2: Favorite of Amun(-Re).;
Inscription #3
English description
[Translation] On back, translation option 3: Praised is the Maat of Amun.;
Inscription #4
English description
[Translation] On bottom: The rightful (?) son of Re: King, beloved of Amun-Re.
Cross-references (2)
- Walters-AccNum 42.29 tier-2
- Walters-id 3035 tier-2
Similar inscriptions · by content embedding
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.