Harvard Art Museums > 2020.287: Bead with Crocodiles Jewelry Collections Search Exit Deep Zoom Mode Zoom Out Zoom In Reset Zoom Full Screen Add to Collection Order Image Copy Link Copy Citation Citation"Bead with Crocodiles , 2020.287,” Harvard Art Museums collections online, Dec 18, 2024, https://hvrd.art/o/371009. Reuse via IIIF Toggle Deep Zoom Mode Download This object does not yet have a description. Identification and Creation Object Number 2020.287 Title Bead with Crocodiles Classification Jewelry Work Type jewelry Date 750-650 BCE Period Late Period, Dynasty 25 Culture Egyptian Persistent Link https://hvrd.art/o/371009 Location Location Level 3, Room 3740, Ancient Mediterranean and Middle Eastern Art, Ancient Egypt: Art for Eternity View this object's location on our interactive map Physical Descriptions Medium Glazed steatite Dimensions 3.5 × 1.5 cm (1 3/8 × 9/16 in.) Provenance Recorded Ownership History [Kelekian Associates, New York, (by 1982-1985], sold; to Robert and Sally Huxley, New York (1985-2020), gift; to the Harvard Art Museums. Acquisition and Rights Credit Line Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of Robert and Sally Huxley in memory of the Kelekian Family Accession Year 2020 Object Number 2020.287 Division Asian and Mediterranean Art Contact am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu Permissions The Harvard Art Museums encourage the use of images found on this website for personal, noncommercial use, including educational and scholarly purposes. To request a higher resolution file of this image, please submit an online request. Descriptions Description This elongated, slightly convex bead bears four simplified representations of crocodiles, each facing in the opposite direction from its neighbors. A branch-like motif fills the space between the animals, perhaps indicative of a marsh or similar watery environment. The fierce creatures would have served as apotropaic emblems to ward off actual crocodiles, and may have referred to the crocodile god Sobek. Carved from soft steatite (schist or "soapstone"), the bead was kiln-fired to harden it. Before firing, it was covered in a glaze made from powered quartz and copper, whose originally bluish color has faded to a light brown. Exhibition History 32Q: 3740 Egyptian, Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 06/01/2022 - 05/01/2026 Verification Level This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
