Ancient Egyptian Black Hardstone Scarab Amulet

£ 225.00

An Egyptian scarab beetle carved from a black hardstone. The anatomical features have been naturalistically rendered including the head with the clypeus, eyes and the femurs and elytra. The carapace is decorated with long vertical incisions. The underside features a ribbed loop at the centre for suspension.

Date: Circa 664-332 BC
Period: Late Period
Condition: Fine condition with some earthly encrustations to the surface. Minor chips to the edges of the reverse.

SOLD

SKU: CY-319 Category: Tags: ,

The scarab beetle was an exceedingly popular symbol in the art of Ancient Egypt, thought to represent the sun god, Ra. Ancient Egyptians believed that the scarab beetle rolling its ball of dung across the dessert mirrored the journey of the sun across the sky from day to night. As the beetle laid its eggs within the dung, it became a symbol of rebirth and regeneration.

To find out more about Ancient Egyptian amulets please see our relevant blog post: Egyptian Amulets and their Meanings.

Weight 5.00 g
Dimensions L 2.2 x W 1.7 x H 1.0 cm
Culture

Region

Stone

Reference: For a similar item,The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, item 76.29.874

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