Khepri and Thoth’s Sacred Baboons

Reproduction Details

Type: Relief panel

Date: 30th Dynasty, c. 380–343 BC

Findspot: Unknown findspot (purchased in 1910)

Materials: Limestone

Size: Height 30.9 cm, Width 39.3 cm, Depth 6 cm

Current location: Metropolitan Museum of Art

Object number: 66.99.73

Print Reference: DP041

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This ancient Egyptian relief panel presents a sacred scene rich in solar and lunar symbolism. At its centre is Khepri, the scarab beetle deity associated with the rising sun, transformation, and rebirth. Flanking him are two baboons, creatures sacred to the god Thoth, who offer Wadjet eyes in an act of devotion and restoration. The depiction of the baboons with fanned fingertips is characteristic of 30th Dynasty art, allowing us to date this relief to approximately 380–343 BC, during the Late Period–early Ptolemaic era.

At the heart of the composition, Khepri is shown holding a star within a circular disk, a symbol of the Duat—the underworld and the realm of transformation before rebirth. In ancient Egyptian cosmology, the scarab beetle was seen as a manifestation of the sun as it emerged each morning from the darkness of the netherworld. Beneath Khepri, a large sun disk emits cascading rays, reinforcing the theme of divine renewal and cosmic order.

The two baboons, commonly depicted in ancient Egyptian art as heralds of the dawn, are directly linked to Thoth, the god of wisdom, writing, and time. Their presentation of the Wadjet (Eye of Horus) to Khepri suggests an act of restoration, aligning with Thoth’s role in healing and maintaining divine balance. The Wadjet itself symbolises protection, health, and completeness, reinforcing the theme of cosmic stability.

Each baboon wears a shen ring atop its head, a hieroglyphic symbol of eternity, which may also serve as a stylised representation of the lunar disk and crescent often associated with Thoth’s sacred baboons. This connection to the moon further ties the imagery to the cyclical nature of time and celestial balance, as Thoth governed both lunar and solar aspects of ancient Egyptian cosmology.

Further Information

• Object information from the Metropolitan Museum of Art online catalogue

• Cooney, John 1953. "Egyptian Art in the Collection of Albert Gallatin." In Journal of Near Eastern Studies, 12, p. 17, no. 80