Egyptian Steatite Scarab Amulet with Hieroglyphic Dedication to Amun-Ra

£225.00

A very fine Ancient Egyptian steatite scarab amulet featuring a hieroglyphic inscription on the reverse. The obverse is rounded and incised with the anatomical details of a scarab beetle, including the eyes, head and clypeus. Linear incisions across the body indicate the prothorax and wing cases. Deep, diagonal grooves to the sides of the scarab portray the legs. On the flat reverse, a large bearded sphinx is depicted recumbent and wearing the red crown of Lower Egypt, 𓋔, known as ‘deshret‘. He is surrounded by a dedication to the god Amun-Ra. The god’s name is composed through the glyphs of the senet-board, 𓏠, mn, ‘Amun‘, water ripple, 𓈖, ‘n‘, sun, 𓇳, r, ‘Ra‘, and basket glyph, 𓎟, nb, ‘Lord‘ in the left register, and the feather of Ma’at in the right register, 𓆄, representing truth and purity. The inscription is encircled by a continuous incision near the rim and is preserved with striking clarity. The scarab has been pierced longitudinally for suspension. Some minor scratches and dark encrustations feature across the surface of the amulet. There is a small chip to the right edge of the face of the reverse.

Date: Circa 662-334 BC
Period: Late Period
Condition: Good. There is a chip to the edge on the reverse.

SOLD

SKU: KW-109 Category: Tags: , , , ,

For the Ancient Egyptians, amulets were not only decorative but also utilitarian as an apotropaic force. Many amulets have been found inside the wrapping of mummies to ensure a safe journey into the afterlife, but amulets were also used by the living for protection or in order to have their wishes granted. Amulets had different meanings depending on their type or form, and small amulets depicting the gods, whether in a human or animal form, were thought to induce protective powers over the wearer.

Amun-Ra was a highly important deity in the Egyptian pantheon. Originally worshipped as two gods, Amun, the creator of the universe, and Ra, the sun-god, the syncretic Amun-Ra gained national and spiritual importance following the defeat of the Hyksos in the 16th Century. He became the king of the gods and his worship was almost monotheistic in nature. By the New Kingdom Period, he was seen as the champion of the poor, Protector of the Road, upholding Ma’at, justice, truth, and goodness. He retained this importance throughout the New Kingdom Period, and even into the Ptolemaic period, identifying with the Greek pantheon to form the identity Zeus-Ammon. Alexander the Great claimed divine descent as the son of Zeus-Ammon, with tradition of currency depicting Alexander with the Horns of Ammon continuing for centuries.

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

To discover more about religious syncretisms in Antiquity, please visit our relevant blog post: Religious Syncretisms in the Ancient Mediterranean Region

Weight 1.33 g
Dimensions L 1.3 x W 1 x H 0.6 cm
Culture

Region

Stone

Egyptian Mythology

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Reference: For a similar item,The British Museum, item 1861,1111.13

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