Art Institute of Chicago

Scaraboid in the Form of a Duck

Egyptian

Date

New Kingdom, Dynasty 18 (about 1550–1295 BCE)

Medium

Glazed steatite

Culture

Egypt

Department

Arts of Africa

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

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 derive their name from the beetle-shaped scarab amulets they resemble. Both types of carvings feature inscriptions on their undersides: phrases, names, or images of animals or deities, intended to help bring about good luck and renewal. These patterns could also be used as personal or institutional stamp seals. The inscription on the bottom of this scaraboid shows cobras flanking a sistrum—a percussive rattle shaken during rituals to calm deities—with the head of the goddess Hathor. Both she and the sistrum were associated with fertility and protection. The owner of this piece would enjoy the protections offered by both the inscription and the duck.

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