Egyptian Steatite Scarab Dedicated to Ramesses II

£650.00

A large steatite Egyptian scarab with incised hieroglyphs to the reverse.  The moulded obverse is detailed with particular attention paid to the head and clypeus, and protruding notched legs. The reverse features an elaborate scene, with a cartouche at its centre. Within the cartouche , there are two registers. The first features the seated figure of Ma’at and a jackel-headed sceptre, known as ‘usr’. Beneath these two signs are three further symbols; the round sun disc, the adze on a block (stp) and the water ripple ‘n’ sign. Together both registers form the prenomen of the pharaoh Ramesses II.  The hieroglyphs transliterated as they are written, would read:

wsr-mꜢꜤt-rꜤ stp-n-rꜤ

Adding in the vowels:

weser-maat-re re-setep-en

Translating as:

Powerful by the truth of Re, The Choice of Re

The cartouche is crowned with the double, ostrich-plumed, atef crown. On either side are two flanking uraei, also crowned with the ‘pschent’ crown, of Upper and Lower Egypt. The scarab is pierced longitudinally for suspension.

Date: Circa 1279 - 1213 BC
Period: New Kingdom Period, 19th Dynasty
Provenance: Ex private UK collection, Mr. DP, formerly acquired from a London dealership, BL, from 2004-2012. Previously Ex US private collection.
Condition: Excellent condition. Large scarab with detailed reverse. Surface crack to the side, running across the notched legs.

SOLD

SKU: AH-1145 Category: Tags: , , ,

This combination of hieroglyphs and the phrasing was used in the Throne Name of Ramesses II, also known as Ramesses the Great. He was the son of Seti I and a 19thDynasty, New Kingdom pharaoh. He is considered the greatest of the New Kingdom pharaohs, the golden age of Egypt’s Empire. His successors labelled him the ‘Great Ancestor’ so great were his achievements. He was known for his military successes, building on the foundations of his father Seti I, across Syria, Lybia and Nubia. As well as being a strong military campaigner, Ramesses is known for his vast architectural feats, building statues and temple complexes, the Ramasseum and Abu Simbel being the most illustrious. The colossal statue of Ramesses still exists to this day and can be found in the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza.

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

Weight 3.79 g
Dimensions L 2.2 x W 1.6 cm
Culture

Egyptian Pharaohs

Region

Stone

Reference: For similar: The Metropolitan Museum, New York, item 30.8.610