The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 24, 2024

Wild Bull Hunt Scarab of Amenhotep III

Wild Bull Hunt Scarab of Amenhotep III

c. 1391–1353 BCE
(1540–1069 BCE), Dynasty 18, reign of Amenhotep III (1390–1352 BCE)
steatite
Overall: 10.5 x 6.6 x 2.5 cm (4 1/8 x 2 5/8 x 1 in.)
Gift of Betty and Max Ratner 1984.36
Location: 107 Egyptian

Did You Know?

The variation in tone appears to be related to inclusions and pigmentation in the stone.

Description

Large commemorative scarabs are characteristic of Amenhotep III’s reign. About 200 are known, and all are inscribed with texts on their undersides, recording significant events in the life of the king and queen. This particular scarab is one of only 5 known examples that describe a royal bull hunt undertaken in his second year of rule, in which the king killed 96 bulls. More than just a pastime, the king’s success as a hunter symbolized the triumph of royal order over the forces of nature and chaos.
  • 1984-
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Eggebrecht, Arne, and Joachim Boessneck. Das Alte Ägypten: 3000 Jahre Geschichte und Kultur des Pharaonenreiches. München: C. Bertelsmann, 1984. p. 187
    Turner, Evan H. “The Year in Review for 1984.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 72, no. 2 (1985). p. 166 www.jstor.org
    Kozloff, Arielle P., Betsy Morrell Bryan, Lawrence Michael Berman, and Elisabeth Delange. Egypt's Dazzling Sun: Amenhotep III and His World. Cleveland: Cleveland Museum of Art in cooperation with Indiana University Press, 1992. Reproduced: no. 1, p. 70
    Berman, Lawrence M. "Overview of Amenhotep III, and His Reign," in O'Connor and Cline (1998). pp 12-13, fig. 1.5
    Berman, Lawrence M., and Kenneth J. Bohač. Catalogue of Egyptian Art: The Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1999 Reproduced: p. 295; Mentioned: p. 294-296
    Schlögl, Hermann Alexander, Regine Buxtorf and Andreas Brodbeck. Kunst und Handwerk aus Ägyptens Goldener Zeit. Wiesbaden Harrassowitz Verlag, 2018. Reproduced: p. 2, figs. 1.2 & 1.3; Mentioned:. p. 3
  • Egypt's Dazzling Sun: Amenhotep III and His World. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (July 1-September 27, 1992); Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, TX (October 24, 1992-January 31, 1993); Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais, 75008 Paris, France (March 2-May 31, 1993).
    Year in Review for 1984. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (April 3-May 5, 1985).
  • {{cite web|title=Wild Bull Hunt Scarab of Amenhotep III|url=false|author=|year=c. 1391–1353 BCE|access-date=24 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1984.36