New Kingdom, early 18th Dynasty, ca. 1492-1473 BC.
Serpentinite and gold.
Metropolitan Museum of Art. 36.3.2
The heart scarab of Hatnefer is an exceptionally fine example of this type of funerary equipment and is comparable to those made for contemporary royalty. Every feature of the scarab beetle is carefully rendered. The exquisite chain is made of gold wire, plaited in a quadruple-link pattern.
Heart scarabs were very popular amulets. For the ancient Egyptians the heart was not only the center of life, but also of thinking, memory, and moral values. In the final judgement the heart was thought to be weighed against Maat – the principle of order and justice. Only if the deceased had lived a righteous life was he or she allowed to live on in the afterlife.