Egyptian Steatite Scarab with Coil Pattern
£ 300.00
An Egyptian steatite scarab with incised features such as clypeus, prothorax, and elytra marked by single lines. Detailing to the head and legs are still visible. The reverse is decorated with an intricate coil pattern, rendered with deep defined lines. The scarab has been pierced longitudinally for suspension, though the hole is now blocked.
Date: Circa 1938 – 1292 BC
Period: Second Intermediate Period - New Kingdom, 12th to 18th Dynasty
Provenance: Ex private London based collection, AH, formerly in English family collections acquired from the 1920s - 1990s.
Condition: Good condition, a few chips to the base perimeter
SOLD
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.
A great variety of coil patterns has been found on Egyptian scarabs, which normally range in date between the 12th and 18th Dynasties.
To find out more about Ancient Egyptian amulets please see our relevant blog post: Egyptian Amulets and their Meanings.