SAGE MUSEUM · ANCIENT WORLDS

Ancient Egypt

Death, Life & Eternity

Enter a world in which death was not treated as disappearance, but as a transformation that demanded preparation. This exhibition follows tombs, mummification, sacred animals, gods, amulets, science and the objects Egyptians created for an existence they believed could continue beyond the grave.

9 Exhibition Rooms

126 Verified Exhibit Records

50 Local Supporting Images

ROOM I

Inside the Tomb

A tomb was not imagined as an ending. It was a prepared home for continued existence. Food vessels, jewelry, furniture, offerings, reliefs and personal possessions surrounded the dead with the things believed necessary for life beyond death.

23 verified collection records · Curatorial source: In the Mummy's Tomb

**Tomb Chapel of Raemkai: West Wall** The Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain / The Met Open Access
ca. 2446–2389 BCE

This supporting object helps reconstruct the material world of an Egyptian burial. Tombs could preserve food, furnishings, offerings, images and personal possessions intended to sustain the deceased beyond death.

**Tomb Chapel of Raemkai** The Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain / The Met Open Access
ca. 2446–2389 BCE

This supporting object helps reconstruct the material world of an Egyptian burial. Tombs could preserve food, furnishings, offerings, images and personal possessions intended to sustain the deceased beyond death.

**Mirror with Handle in the Form of a Hathor Emblem** The Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain / The Met Open Access
ca. 1479–1425 BCE

This supporting object helps reconstruct the material world of an Egyptian burial. Tombs could preserve food, furnishings, offerings, images and personal possessions intended to sustain the deceased beyond death.

**Mastaba Tomb of Perneb** The Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain / The Met Open Access
ca. 2381–2323 BCE

This supporting object helps reconstruct the material world of an Egyptian burial. Tombs could preserve food, furnishings, offerings, images and personal possessions intended to sustain the deceased beyond death.

**Model of a Granary with Scribes** The Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain / The Met Open Access
ca. 1981–1975 B.C.

This supporting object helps reconstruct the material world of an Egyptian burial. Tombs could preserve food, furnishings, offerings, images and personal possessions intended to sustain the deceased beyond death.

**Tomb Relief of the Chief Physician Amenhotep and Family** Cleveland Museum of Art · CC0
c. 1279–1257 BCE

This supporting object helps reconstruct the material world of an Egyptian burial. Tombs could preserve food, furnishings, offerings, images and personal possessions intended to sustain the deceased beyond death.

**Men Bearing Tomb Equipment** Cleveland Museum of Art · CC0
c. 667–647 BCE

This supporting object helps reconstruct the material world of an Egyptian burial. Tombs could preserve food, furnishings, offerings, images and personal possessions intended to sustain the deceased beyond death.

**Relief of Nyankhnesut Seated** Cleveland Museum of Art · CC0
c. 2311–2281 BCE

This supporting object helps reconstruct the material world of an Egyptian burial. Tombs could preserve food, furnishings, offerings, images and personal possessions intended to sustain the deceased beyond death.

Collection Highlights

SAGE COLLECTION VAULT

View full room collection · 23 records

Red Earthenware Dish nmnhanthropology_8071692

Oil Jar nmnhanthropology_8314175

Clay Vase nmnhanthropology_8314172

Palette nmnhanthropology_8071744

Braided Human Hair nmnhanthropology_8193672

Small Alabaster Jar/1 nmnhanthropology_8168476

Clay Funerary Cone nmnhanthropology_8291678

Unguent Jar, Alabaster nmnhanthropology_8126277

Fgt. Of Carved Limestone Tomb Relief nmnhanthropology_8020952

Faience Flail Parts nmnhanthropology_8193667

Tomb Relief Fragment (Painted) nmnhanthropology_8193659

Memorial Stela nmnhanthropology_8238845

Marble Jar, Pale Blue nmnhanthropology_8126274

Clay Cone Seal nmnhanthropology_8314295

Kohl Jar nmnhanthropology_8314181

Alabaster Sculptured Vase nmnhanthropology_8503979

Tomb Ceiling Fragment (Stars) nmnhanthropology_8175530

Unguent Flask - Lenticular nmnhanthropology_8121921

Oil Jar nmnhanthropology_8168655

Mummy In Coffin nmnhanthropology_8009751

Limestone Tablet, Stela nmnhanthropology_8072814

Necklace nmnhanthropology_8072575

String Of Beads nmnhanthropology_8078724

ROOM II

Making a Mummy

Preserving the body was both a technical process and a religious act. Embalmers dried the body, treated and wrapped it, protected vulnerable parts with amulets, and placed organs within a funerary system that connected physical preservation with the hope of rebirth.

11 verified collection records · Curatorial source: Making a Mummy

**Canopic box of Hatnefer** The Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain / The Met Open Access
ca. 1491–1473 BCE

Canopic equipment belonged to the funerary system surrounding preservation of the dead. Vessels and containers were associated with the treatment and ritual protection of the internal organs.

**Canopic jar with human head** The Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain / The Met Open Access
ca. 721–664 BCE

Canopic equipment belonged to the funerary system surrounding preservation of the dead. Vessels and containers were associated with the treatment and ritual protection of the internal organs.

**Dummy canopic jar with jackal head** The Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain / The Met Open Access
ca. 1080–664 BCE

Canopic equipment belonged to the funerary system surrounding preservation of the dead. Vessels and containers were associated with the treatment and ritual protection of the internal organs.

**Canopic jar with jackal head** The Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain / The Met Open Access
ca. 721–664 BCE

Canopic equipment belonged to the funerary system surrounding preservation of the dead. Vessels and containers were associated with the treatment and ritual protection of the internal organs.

**Canopic jar with falcon head** The Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain / The Met Open Access
ca. 721–664 BCE

Canopic equipment belonged to the funerary system surrounding preservation of the dead. Vessels and containers were associated with the treatment and ritual protection of the internal organs.

**Canopic Jar with Jackal's Head** Cleveland Museum of Art · CC0
664–525 BCE

Canopic equipment belonged to the funerary system surrounding preservation of the dead. Vessels and containers were associated with the treatment and ritual protection of the internal organs.

**Canopic Jar with Lid** Cleveland Museum of Art · CC0
1540–1296 BCE

Canopic equipment belonged to the funerary system surrounding preservation of the dead. Vessels and containers were associated with the treatment and ritual protection of the internal organs.

Collection Highlights

SAGE COLLECTION VAULT

View full room collection · 11 records

Sacks Of Natron nmnhanthropology_8193676

Canopic Jar Lid nmnhanthropology_8193597

Canopic Jar & Lid, Alabaster nmnhanthropology_8120536

Canopic Jar Of Duamutef-(Cast) W/ Lid nmnhanthropology_8075477

Canopic Jar Of Kebehsenuf - (Cast) W/ Lid nmnhanthropology_8075479

Alabaster Canopic Jar In Two Parts nmnhanthropology_8503990

Lid Of Canopic Jar nmnhanthropology_8504093

Canopic Jar Of Hapi- (Cast) W/ Lid nmnhanthropology_8075476

Canopic Jar of Imsety- (Cast) W/Lid nmnhanthropology_8075480

Piece Of Mummy Cartonnage nmnhanthropology_8077521

Piece Of Mummy Cartonnage nmnhanthropology_8020913

ROOM III

Faces Across Eternity

Masks, painted coffins and mummy portraits gave the dead a visible identity. Across centuries, styles changed dramatically, but the face remained a powerful bridge between memory, personhood and the eternal life Egyptians hoped to enter.

6 verified collection records · Curatorial source: What's in a Face

**Mummy with an Inserted Panel Portrait of a Youth** The Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain / The Met Open Access
80–100 CE

Mummy portraits preserved a recognizable human face within funerary practice, joining personal identity with the transformed body prepared for burial.

**Mask and Foot Cover of "Corn Mummy"** The Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain / The Met Open Access
400–250 BCE

A funerary mask gave the deceased a protected, idealized face. It helped preserve identity while placing the dead within a sacred visual language of transformation.

**Mummy Mask of Senbi** Cleveland Museum of Art · CC0
1980–1801 BCE

A funerary mask gave the deceased a protected, idealized face. It helped preserve identity while placing the dead within a sacred visual language of transformation.

**Ancient Egypt Mummy Portrait (28132790233)** Ancient Egypt Mummy Portrait · CC0
2016-08-03 18:54

Mummy portraits preserved a recognizable human face within funerary practice, joining personal identity with the transformed body prepared for burial.

**Ancient Egypt Mummy Portrait (28132792423)** Ancient Egypt Mummy Portrait · CC0
2016-08-03 18:54

Mummy portraits preserved a recognizable human face within funerary practice, joining personal identity with the transformed body prepared for burial.

Collection Highlights

SAGE COLLECTION VAULT

ROOM IV

Science Beneath the Wrappings

Modern imaging lets researchers investigate human remains without unwrapping them. Radiography and CT scanning can reveal age, injuries, disease, embalming choices and objects hidden beneath linen, allowing the ancient dead to be studied with far less physical disturbance.

0 verified collection records · Curatorial source: Mummy Science

**1896 x-rays of Physikalischer Verein, mummy** 14 Photographien mit Röntgen-Strahlen aufgenommen im Physikalischen Verein zu Frankfurt a. M. von Professor Dr. Walter König, scanned by Staatsbibliothek Berlin, https://digital.staatsbibliothek-berlin.de/werkansicht?PPN=PPN782498442 · Public domain
1896

Radiography opened a new way to study mummies without physically unwrapping them. Imaging can reveal skeletal structures and materials hidden beneath layers of ancient linen.

Collection Highlights

SAGE COLLECTION VAULT

Mummy In Coffin is also interpreted in this room because scientific study of the same human remains connects the physical mummy with modern non-invasive investigation.

ROOM V

Sacred Animals

Millions of animals were mummified in ancient Egypt. Cats, ibises, falcons, crocodiles, snakes, bulls and other creatures could serve as sacred offerings, embody divine associations, or carry a petition from a worshipper into the realm of the gods.

23 verified collection records · Curatorial source: Animal Mummies

**Ancient Egyptian animal mummy at the Musee de la civilisation** Own work · CC0
2023-02-11 16:13:17

Animal mummification had several religious roles in Egypt. Animals could be sacred offerings and could carry symbolic connections to particular gods.

**Sacred animal mummy containing a dog** This file was donated to Wikimedia Commons as part of a project by the Metropolitan Museum of Art . See the Image and Data Resources Open Access Policy · CC0
circa 400 B.C.–100 A.D. Period: Late Period–Roman Period

Animal mummification had several religious roles in Egypt. Animals could be sacred offerings and could carry symbolic connections to particular gods.

Collection Highlights

SAGE COLLECTION VAULT

View full room collection · 23 records

Mummy Of Kestrel nmnhanthropology_8188802

Mummified Cat nmnhanthropology_8083183

Wrapped Mummy Of A Kestrel nmnhanthropology_8206909

Mummied Cat In Wrapper nmnhanthropology_8072559

Mummied Ibis nmnhanthropology_8325980

Fragts. Of Mummied Animals nmnhanthropology_8028377

Mummy Of "Kitten" nmnhanthropology_8125404

Mummied Ibis nmnhanthropology_8072818

Mummied Ibis nmnhanthropology_8072819

Head Of Mummified Cat nmnhanthropology_8125403

Mummied Crocodile nmnhanthropology_8314204

Mummified Reptiles nmnhanthropology_8325979

Mummy Of Cat, In Mummy Wrappings nmnhanthropology_8191104

Bird Mummy nmnhanthropology_8284891

Funerary Urn Of Earthenware containing Ibis Mummy nmnhanthropology_8072816

Mummy Of Cat nmnhanthropology_8125401

Falcon-Shaped Wooden Coffin, With Falcon Mummy nmnhanthropology_8175523

Mummy, Baboon nmnhanthropology_8297238

Small Bull Mummy/1 nmnhanthropology_8162347

Snake Cofffin - Bronze Box nmnhanthropology_8175521

Bronze Lizard Coffin nmnhanthropology_8010143

Ibis Sculpture nmnhanthropology_8504008

Ibis Statuette, On Wood Base nmnhanthropology_8162380

ROOM VI

The Coffin of Tentkhonsu

Tentkhonsu's nested coffins preserve more than decoration. Their imagery placed her within a religious universe of protection, transformation and divine power, while also preserving traces of an individual woman whose burial crossed thousands of years to reach the present.

2 verified collection records · Curatorial source: Tentkhonsu's Coffin

**Mummy of a woman named Nephthys** The Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain / The Met Open Access
ca. 1961–1878 B.C.

Painted coffins formed protective environments around the dead. Their texts, colors and divine figures connected an individual burial with Egyptian ideas of protection and rebirth.

**Anthropoid-coffin-form canopic container inscribed with the name of Duamutef** This file was donated to Wikimedia Commons as part of a project by the Metropolitan Museum of Art . See the Image and Data Resources Open Access Policy · CC0
circa 1981 date QS:P571,+1981-00-00T00:00:00Z/9,P1480,Q5727902 –1802 B.C. Period: Middle Kingdom Dynasty: Dynasty 12

Canopic equipment belonged to the funerary system surrounding preservation of the dead. Vessels and containers were associated with the treatment and ritual protection of the internal organs.

**Anthropoid Coffin of a Woman** This file was donated to Wikimedia Commons as part of a project by the Metropolitan Museum of Art . See the Image and Data Resources Open Access Policy · CC0
circa 1479 date QS:P571,+1479-00-00T00:00:00Z/9,P1480,Q5727902 –1458 B.C. Period: New Kingdom Dynasty: Dynasty 18 Reign: Joint reign of Hatshepsut and Thutmose III

Egyptian coffins were more than containers. They formed protective sacred environments whose imagery and inscriptions helped guide and transform the deceased.

Collection Highlights

SAGE COLLECTION VAULT

ROOM VII

Preparing for Eternity

Eternal life required preparation. Shabtis could work on behalf of the deceased, amulets protected the body and spirit, models supplied symbolic needs, and funerary objects addressed dangers believed to await the dead on the journey beyond the tomb.

26 verified collection records · Curatorial source: Preparing for Eternal Life

**Amulet Carved in Intaglio (Incised)** The Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain / The Met Open Access
6th–7th century

Amulets were worn or placed with the dead as concentrated forms of symbolic protection. Their material, color and shape could connect them with particular gods or sacred powers.

**Ushabti** No machine-readable source provided. Own work assumed (based on copyright claims). · Public domain
1 September 2005 (according to Exif data)

Shabtis were small funerary figures placed with the dead. They were intended to perform required labor on behalf of the deceased in the afterlife.

**Funerary scarab** The Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain / The Met Open Access
664–30 BCE

Heart scarabs were funerary amulets associated with judgment after death. Many were inscribed with a form of Book of the Dead Spell 30, asking the heart not to testify against its owner before Osiris.

**Guardian Figure** The Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain / The Met Open Access
ca. 1919–1885 B.C.

Funerary equipment addressed practical and sacred needs believed to continue after death. Amulets, shabtis, models and other objects offered service, protection and symbolic power.

**Funerary Cone of Amenemopet called Tjanefer** The Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain / The Met Open Access
ca. 1550–1347 BCE

Funerary equipment addressed practical and sacred needs believed to continue after death. Amulets, shabtis, models and other objects offered service, protection and symbolic power.

Collection Highlights

SAGE COLLECTION VAULT

View full room collection · 26 records

Shabti nmnhanthropology_8077517

Royal Shabti nmnhanthropology_8087759

Wooden Shabti nmnhanthropology_8043122

Offering Table nmnhanthropology_8175518

Offering Tray, Pottery nmnhanthropology_8175524

Earthenware Model Of Bed nmnhanthropology_8121949

Beaded Breast Ornament nmnhanthropology_8110603

Sepulchral Box nmnhanthropology_8026587

Ushabti nmnhanthropology_8503988

Wood Box With (Terra Cotta) Ushabtis Painted nmnhanthropology_8175544

Ushabti nmnhanthropology_8503985

Ushabti nmnhanthropology_8503984

Shabti nmnhanthropology_8043129

Small Headrest Amulet nmnhanthropology_8010129

Necklaces nmnhanthropology_8184940

Sun-Disk In Crescent, Faience nmnhanthropology_8083788

Amulet: "Heart" nmnhanthropology_8206883

Djed pillar Amulet nmnhanthropology_8075360

Amulet, L-Shaped nmnhanthropology_8206878

Faience Pendant nmnhanthropology_8077509

Necklace Of Amulets nmnhanthropology_8072573

Paddle Doll nmnhanthropology_8168653

Heart "Ib" Amulet nmnhanthropology_8504099

Carving Of Man-Wood nmnhanthropology_8126284

Limestone Coffin Model nmnhanthropology_8503989

Figure Of A Man nmnhanthropology_8504001

ROOM VIII

Gods of the Eternal Journey

Osiris, Horus, Anubis, Isis, Ptah, Thoth and other deities represented different powers within the Egyptian sacred world. Their images offered protection, healing, resurrection, judgment and cosmic order to both the living and the dead.

32 verified collection records · Curatorial source: The Gods and Eternal Life

**Apis Bull** Cleveland Museum of Art · CC0
400–100 BCE

Egyptian divine figures embodied different powers within the cosmos. In funerary settings their images could invoke protection, healing, judgment, resurrection and cosmic order.

**Statuette of Osiris** Cleveland Museum of Art · CC0
664–30 BCE OR 664–330 BCE

Egyptian divine figures embodied different powers within the cosmos. In funerary settings their images could invoke protection, healing, judgment, resurrection and cosmic order.

**Ancient Egypt Bronze Statues of Osiris (28370040425)** Ancient Egypt Bronze Statues of Osiris · CC0
2016-07-15 18:26

Egyptian divine figures embodied different powers within the cosmos. In funerary settings their images could invoke protection, healing, judgment, resurrection and cosmic order.

**Ancient Egypt Bronze Statuette of Osiris (28253563251)** Ancient Egypt Bronze Statuette of Osiris · CC0
2016-07-15 18:10

Egyptian divine figures embodied different powers within the cosmos. In funerary settings their images could invoke protection, healing, judgment, resurrection and cosmic order.

**Ancient Egypt Osiris Images (27797085573)** Ancient Egypt Osiris Images · CC0
2016-07-15 19:16

Egyptian divine figures embodied different powers within the cosmos. In funerary settings their images could invoke protection, healing, judgment, resurrection and cosmic order.

Collection Highlights

SAGE COLLECTION VAULT

View full room collection · 32 records

Sm. Blue Faience Amulet, Uraeus nmnhanthropology_8110929

Bronze Statuette Of Nefertum nmnhanthropology_8193887

Sm. Blue Faience Amulet, The God Atum nmnhanthropology_8110936

Sm. Blue Faience Amulet, The Goddess Sakhmet nmnhanthropology_8110935

Bronze Statuette Of Khnum and Stand nmnhanthropology_8193885

Amulet: "Buckle (Or Tie) Of Isis". nmnhanthropology_8206881

Sm. Blue Faience Amulet, The Goddess Tauret nmnhanthropology_8110934

Horus Amulet nmnhanthropology_8168467

Amulet: "Feathers Of Amun" nmnhanthropology_8206880

Blue Faience Amulet, Son of Horus, Hapy nmnhanthropology_8110925

Bronze Figure - Horus As Hawk, Compos. Crown nmnhanthropology_8175520

Sm. Blue Faience Amulet, Son of Horus, Kebehsenuf nmnhanthropology_8110927

Falcon Headed Qebehsenuf Sons of Horus Amulet nmnhanthropology_8503993

Human Headed Imsety Sons of Horus Amulet nmnhanthropology_8504007

Baboon Headed Hapi Sons of Horus Amulet nmnhanthropology_8503994

"Eye Of Horus" Wdjet Eye nmnhanthropology_8193893

"Eye Of Horus" Wdjet Eye nmnhanthropology_8193892

Faience Amulet Of Ibis-Headed Thoth nmnhanthropology_8504097

Figure Of Standing Osiris nmnhanthropology_8503877

Wooden Figure Of Crouching Dog, Anubis nmnhanthropology_8168464

Amulet (Serpent) nmnhanthropology_8206873

Egyptian Amulet nmnhanthropology_8131643

Bronze Statuette Of Himnhotep nmnhanthropology_8193884

Flat Faience Figurine nmnhanthropology_8077499

Amulet nmnhanthropology_8030220

Amulet nmnhanthropology_8030219

Amulet nmnhanthropology_8030221

Amulet: "Ox Tied For Sacrifice." nmnhanthropology_8206884

Sm. Blue Amulet, the Sacred Eye (Wadjet) nmnhanthropology_8110930

Fragment Of Wooden Coffin Lid nmnhanthropology_8189637

Votive Statue, Figurine Of Dwarf nmnhanthropology_8206877

Faience Amulet nmnhanthropology_8168470

ROOM IX

Insects, Symbols and Transformation

The scarab became one of Egypt's most enduring symbols. Its association with emergence and the rising sun made it a potent image of renewal. Heart scarabs and winged scarabs carried that idea directly into funerary practice.

3 verified collection records · Curatorial source: Insects in Ancient Egypt

WHY THE SCARAB?

Rebirth and the Rising Sun

Egyptians connected the scarab beetle with Khepri, the rising form of the sun. The beetle became a visual language for emergence, renewal and transformation.

HEART & JUDGMENT

Do Not Speak Against Me

The heart was understood as a center of identity, memory and moral character. Heart scarabs could carry funerary spells asking the heart not to testify against its owner during judgment before Osiris.

WINGS & TRANSFORMATION

Carried Into Rebirth

Winged scarabs were made with holes so they could be sewn to mummy wrappings or bead nets across the chest. Their imagery joined solar renewal directly to the transformed body of the dead.

ROYAL RECORD

Amenhotep III's Bull Hunt

Some scarabs were records rather than simple amulets. One shown here preserves a royal account of Amenhotep III's hunt in which 96 bulls were killed, presenting the king as order overcoming chaos.

Interpretation researched from the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Cleveland Museum of Art. Supporting images remain locally hosted by SAGE.

**Wild Bull Hunt Scarab of Amenhotep III** Cleveland Museum of Art · CC0
c. 1391–1353 BCE

A large commemorative scarab of Amenhotep III. Its inscription records a royal bull hunt in the king's second regnal year in which 96 bulls were killed. The hunt presented the king as a force of royal order overcoming the dangerous powers of nature and chaos.

**Winged Pectoral Scarab** Cleveland Museum of Art · CC0
664–525 BCE

A deep turquoise faience winged scarab. Winged scarabs represented rebirth and the solar god Khepri. Similar examples were pierced so they could be attached to mummy wrappings or bead nets over the chest.

**Heart Scarab of Nefer** Cleveland Museum of Art · CC0
1540–1296 BCE

A Dynasty 18 heart scarab made of graywacke. Heart scarabs protected the deceased during the final judgment. The heart was understood as a center of identity, memory and morality and was symbolically weighed against maat.

**Scarab CG37399 Newberry** Catalogue général des antiquités égyptiennes du Musée du Caire N° 36001-37521 - Scarab-shaped seals (1907) · Public domain
1907

The scarab beetle became closely associated with Khepri and the daily renewal of the sun. That connection made the scarab an enduring Egyptian image of transformation and rebirth.

**Scarab Commemorating the King's Marriage to Queen Tiye** This file was donated to Wikimedia Commons as part of a project by the Metropolitan Museum of Art . See the Image and Data Resources Open Access Policy · CC0
circa 1390 date QS:P571,+1390-00-00T00:00:00Z/9,P1480,Q5727902 –1352 B.C. Period: New Kingdom Dynasty: Dynasty 18 Reign: reign of Amenhotep III

The scarab beetle became closely associated with Khepri and the daily renewal of the sun. That connection made the scarab an enduring Egyptian image of transformation and rebirth.

**Ancient Egyptian Scarabs** https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/688614 · CC0
1910-01-01

The scarab beetle became closely associated with Khepri and the daily renewal of the sun. That connection made the scarab an enduring Egyptian image of transformation and rebirth.

**Heart Scarab with a Human Head** The Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain / The Met Open Access
ca. 1550–1080 BCE New Kingdom Basalt, bronze, remains of gold leaf

Heart scarabs were funerary amulets associated with judgment after death. Many were inscribed with a form of Book of the Dead Spell 30, asking the heart not to testify against its owner before Osiris.

**Winged Scarab** The Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain / The Met Open Access
664–332 BCE Late Period Faience

Winged scarabs were funerary emblems of regeneration. Examples were sewn onto mummy wrappings or incorporated into bead nets and placed across the chest.

**Heart Scarab of Hatnefer** The Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain / The Met Open Access
ca. 1491–1473 BCE New Kingdom Dynasty 18, early Serpentinite, gold

Heart scarabs were funerary amulets associated with judgment after death. Many were inscribed with a form of Book of the Dead Spell 30, asking the heart not to testify against its owner before Osiris.

Collection Highlights

SAGE COLLECTION VAULT