Heart Amulet with Head of a Scarab
ca. 1539–1190 B.C.E.
1 of 13
Object Label
The heart was generally the only organ left inside the human mummy. Ancient Egyptians believed that the heart was the seat of one’s consciousness, and that it was weighed against the feather of truth during Osiris’s judgment of the deceased. If the scale remained in balance, the deceased was accepted into the afterlife. To ensure success, a heart scarab was placed close to the heart of the mummy. Its inscriptions asked the heart to support the deceased during judgment.
The unusual shape of this amulet represents an animal’s heart—the shape of the hieroglyph for “heart”—with the head of a scarab beetle, a symbol of regeneration.
The unusual shape of this amulet represents an animal’s heart—the shape of the hieroglyph for “heart”—with the head of a scarab beetle, a symbol of regeneration.
Caption
Heart Amulet with Head of a Scarab, ca. 1539–1190 B.C.E.. Jade (probably), 9/16 x 1 1/16 x 1 7/8 in. (1.5 x 2.7 x 4.8 cm) Weight: 0.1 lb. (31.7 g). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 37.492E. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)
Gallery
Not on view
Gallery
Not on view
Title
Heart Amulet with Head of a Scarab
Date
ca. 1539–1190 B.C.E.
Dynasty
Dynasty 18 to Dynasty 19
Period
New Kingdom
Geography
Place made: Egypt
Medium
Jade (probably)
Classification
Dimensions
9/16 x 1 1/16 x 1 7/8 in. (1.5 x 2.7 x 4.8 cm) Weight: 0.1 lb. (31.7 g)
Inscriptions
Yes
Credit Line
Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
Accession Number
37.492E
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