Scarab Ring

Description The scarab, the ancient Egyptian symbol of regeneration and rebirth, was a very popular motif in jewelry. This sacred beetle was connected to the sun-god Khepri, who could appear in the form of a scarab and was also associated with resurrection. This ring features an amethyst scarab, which can be rotated to reveal a hieroglyphic inscription chased on its gold mount. It reads "Butler of Nefer-her: Hebi," which identifies the pieces as the property of a royal servant.

Conservation

Date	Description	Narrative
10/19/1978	Examination	examined for condition
3/07/1984	Treatment	other

Exhibitions

• In Search of Ancient Treasure: 40 Years of Collecting. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. 1978.
• Jewelry - Ancient to Modern. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. 1979-1980.
• Objects of Adornment: Five Thousand Years of Jewelry from the Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, New York; Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk; Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh; San Antonio Museum of Art, San Antonio; Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa; Honolulu Academy of Arts, Honolulu; New Orleans Museum of Art, New Orleans; Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee; Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis; Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo; The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota. 1984-1987.
• Jewelry from the Walters Art Gallery and the Zucker Family Collection. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. 1987.
• Bedazzled: 5,000 Years of Jewelry from the Walters Art Museum. Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Nashville; The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota; The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. 2006-2009.
• Bedazzled: 5,000 Years of Jewelry. El Paso Museum of Art, El Paso. 2010.

Provenance Children of Robert Garrett, Baltimore [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1964, by gift.

Inscriptions [Translation] Butler of Nefer-her: Hebi.

Credit Gift of the children of Robert Garrett, 1964