File:Canaanite - Scarab with Cartouche of King Sheshi - Walters 4217 - Bottom (2).jpg

Summary

Scarab with Cartouche of King Sheshi ( )

Artist

Canaanite (?)

Egyptian (?)

Title

Scarab with Cartouche of King Sheshi

Description

English: 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 is a typical example of the Second Intermediate Period. The bottom inscription contains the name and title of the King Sheshi, as well as a wish formula for his life. The highest point of the back is the pronotum (dorsal plate of the protorax). Two side-notches at shoulder height define the partition between pronotum and elytron (wing cases); these notches differ in shape and depth and are not aligned. The proportions of the top are slightly unbalanced, and the pronotum is asymmetrical Two incised circular lines define the partition between body and the oval base. The trapezoidal head is framed by borderlines and flanked by rectangular eyes. The trapezoidal side plates have curved outer edges, and the clypeus (front plate) a central base notch.

The scarab is longitudinally pierced, was originally mounted or threaded, and used as an amulet. Such an amulet should on one side secure the existence and divine monarchy for this king, and on the other provide its private owner with his royal patronage.

There are many scarabs with the name of king Sheshi (e.g. Baltimore, Walters Art Museum, 42.17 and 42.26), which were found in Egypt, Nubia, and Palestine; nevertheless, there are no other monuments or historical records. It is likely that the throne name of Sheshi was Maat-ib-Re, and scarabs with this name were similar popular and widespread. The identification of Sheshi with a Hyksos rulers or one of the Hyksos vassals is likely, but not positive. Furthermore, it was several times considered to interpret the name as a variant of the name of the Hyksos ruler Apepi.

Date

between 1648 and 1539 BC (Second Intermediate Period of Egypt)

Medium

light beige steatite

Dimensions

length: 2.2 cm (0.8 in); height: 1 cm (0.3 in); width: 1.5 cm (0.5 in)

Collection

Walters Art Museum

	Native name	Walters Art Museum
	Location	Baltimore, United States of America
	Coordinates	39° 17′ 48″ N, 76° 36′ 58″ W
	Established	1934
	Website	thewalters.org
	Authority file	: Q210081 VIAF: 128918374 ISNI: 000000040373611X ULAN: 500279110 LCCN: no00096900 GND: 16029354-6 WorldCat

Accession number

42.17

Place of creation

Palestine (?)

Object history

Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1911 (?) [mode of acquisition unknown]
1931: bequeathed to Walters Art Museum by Henry Walters

Credit line

Acquired by Henry Walters, 1911 (?)

Inscriptions

[Translation] Birth name of King Sheshi in a cartouche combined with "solar filiations" title and a wish formula: Son of Re: Sheshi, to whom may be given life.

Source

Walters Art Museum: Home page Info about artwork

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File:Canaanite - Scarab with Cartouche of King Sheshi - Walters 4217 - Bottom (2).jpg

Summary

Licensing

Captions

Items portrayed in this file

depicts

culture of Egypt

scarab

Walters Art Museum

collection

Second Intermediate Period of Egypt

Baltimore

copyright status

copyrighted

copyright license

GNU Free Documentation License, version 1.2 or later

Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported

Wikimedia VRTS ticket number

2012021710000834

media type

image/jpeg

checksum

98d50ecb7477211ce9a58ece900afc19f783e090

data size

526,042 byte

height

900 pixel

width

613 pixel

File history

File usage

Global file usage