Ancient Egyptian Faience Scaraboid to Amun-Ra
£ 400.00
A finely carved Ancient Egyptian faience scaraboid with two decorated sides, featuring a rich turquoise glaze. The impressive composite design upon one side features a dedication to the god Amun-Ra, with his name identifiable by the incised hieroglyphs. The ‘a’ feather, the ‘mn’ draughtboard and ‘n’ water ripple all spell the beginning of the god’s name. Beside these central ciphers lies a linear, vertical stroke and a round sun-disc; the latter refers to the god Ra, while the stroke denotes that the sun hieroglyph is an ideogram. The two basket signs at either end can be translated as ‘lord’, but are more likely filler motifs to add decorative symmetry.
Upon the alternate side of this amulet is a far simpler composition that features a three-stemmed, papyrus frond, encircled by a linear border. Papyrus stems, when combined with other symbols, often took on meanings of youth and flourishing.
This amulet has been punctured vertically, allowing for its suspension.
Date: Circa 664-552 BC
Period: Late Period
Provenance: Ex private UK collection, Cambridge, Mr. S. collection.
Condition: Very fine condition. Clearly defined hieroglyphs with small chip to border.
In stock
The Egyptian god, Amun-Ra, was a highly important deity in the Egyptian pantheon. Originally, he was worshipped as two gods, the creator of the universe, Amun, and the sun-god, Ra. He gained national importance after the defeat of the Hyksos at Thebes in the 16th century, and it is from this date that Amun and Ra were conjoined into one god. As his position grew, Amun-Ra’s worship was almost monotheistic in nature, with the other gods considered manifestations of him. So great was his influence that he was theologically fused with the Greek god Zeus from the Ptolemaic period, to form Zeus Ammon. Alexander the Great claimed divine descent as the son of Amun.
To find out more about Ancient Egyptian amulets please see our relevant blog post: Egyptian Amulets and their Meanings.
