The Melbourne Museum’s Tutankhamen and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs exhibition was the inspiration for our Grade 5 and 6 Egyptian Art Unit of work.

After visiting the exhibition, students were intrigued with the ancient beliefs and rituals that were practiced during this era and fascinated by the symbols that formed the basis of these rituals. One of these sacred symbols was the scarab beetle. The beetle’s sheer beauty and detail and its significance in the Egyptian culture led to this piece of art work.

Students began by designing their own beetle. A pattern was produced on cartridge paper and cut out. Students then traced the pattern onto embossing foil. This was done by pressing firmly over the pattern and onto the foil using a grey lead pencil and then it was carefully cut out. Some students continued to emboss the beetle to add further detail.

Decoration of the beetle was done by using Zart Art Adhesive Metallic squares and a variety of different gems. Quite a few weeks of careful and meticulous work resulted in a truly effective and aesthetically pleasing snippet and of Egyptian history.

Isabella Mignuoli
Visual Art Teacher
Diamond Creek Primary School
Suitable for Level 4