The portrayal of the pharaoh wearing the blue ‘khepresh’ crown was one that gained popularity during the New Kingdom. It had powerful connotations to rebirth and solar imagery. The term ‘khepresh’ also phonetically alluded to the solar deity, Khepri, who was often represented as a scarab-faced man. It was also believed that the ruler wearing the Khepresh crown was the god’s representative on Earth, a living king and the representative of Amun-Re.
Hunting and battle scenes were common on scarabs from the end of the Ramesside Period to the early Third Intermediate Period, from the end of the 10thcentury BC. From their popularity and distribution across North Egypt and the Levant, they were most likely mass-produced. This example is unique in the added janiform depiction.
To find out more about Ancient Egyptian amulets please see our relevant blog post: Egyptian Amulets and their Meanings.