Scaraboid in the Form of a Duck
New Kingdom, Dynasty 18 (about 1550–1295 BCE)
Medium
Glazed steatite
Dimensions
1 × 1.3 × 1.8 cm (7/16 × 9/16 × 3/4 in.)
Classification
scaraboids
Department
Arts of Africa
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
134514
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
With intricately carved “feathers” beneath its bright blue glaze, this scaraboid (a type of amulet), depicts a duck resting its head upon its back. It may represent a sleeping duck, inviting associations of awakening after one’s rebirth into the afterlife. The small charm may also reflect ducks’ popularity as a food source in ancient Egypt. A scaraboid was a common tomb offering to sustain the dead, and this one may represent a duck that has been prepared for feasting. Objects like this one deri...
About the Artist
Ancient Egyptian
Ancient Egyptian artists, a collective of highly skilled artisans spanning over three millennia from the Predynastic period (c. 6000–3150 BC) to the Roman era (30 BC–4th century AD), produced some of humanity's most enduring masterpieces. These anonymous craftsmen, often organized in state-sponsored workshops, lived in dedicated communities like Deir el-Medina near Luxor during the New Kingdom (c....