Egyptian Hyksos Period Swivel Ring with Scarab

$498.87

An ancient Egyptian bronze swivel ring  set with a steatite scarab from the Hyksos period. The obverse is simple in nature, with a vaguely moulded shape to the clypeus and head. Incised indentations mark the humeral callosities. The reverse features a symmetrical pattern consisting of looped scrollwork and pairs of concentric circles at each corner. The scarab has been pierced longitudinally for suspension upon a metal wire, which was curled around a plain, bronze, rounded band. Evidence of the curled wire can still be seen, however there is encrustation to the whole band. Swivel rings could have a practical function, the scarab used as a personal seal, or they could simply be decorative and worn for their apotropaic status.

Measurements given below are the external width of the band and to the external edge of the scarab.

Date: Circa 1750–1550 BC
Period: Hkysos Period, 17th - 15th Dynasty
Provenance: Ex major S.M., London, Collection 1970-2010.
Condition: Very fine condition. Some encrustation to the band, scarab no longer swivels.

In stock

SKU: AH-1051 Category: Tags: , ,

The scarab beetle was an exceedingly popular symbol in the art of Ancient Egypt, thought to represent the sun god, Ra. The Ancient Egyptians believed that the scarab beetle rolling its ball of dung across the desert 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.

The term ‘Hyksos’ can be traced back to the Egyptian expression ‘heka khasewet’, which means, “rulers of foreign lands”. The Hyksos of the fifteenth Dynasty of Egypt, ruling during the Second Intermediate Period, were thus of non-Egyptian origin. They were probably Canaanite, and one tends to find the names of rulers on their scarabs. The Hyksos Kingdom was centred in the eastern Nile Delta and Middle Egypt. It was limited in size, never extending south into Upper Egypt, and it had Memphis as its capital.

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

Weight 3.92 g
Dimensions L 3.2 x W 2.7 cm
Culture

Region

Stone

Reference: For similar scarab iconography: The British Museum, London, item 104935

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