Egyptian Steatite Scarab with Crowned Falcon

£ 550.00

A steatite Egyptian scarab with incised hieroglyphs to the reverse. The moulded obverse features a stylised clypeus and head, whilst single inscribed lines have been used to depict the prothorax and elytra. The reverse is more detailed, featuring a finely carved falcon, wearing the double crown of Lower and Upper Egypt. Behind him is the ‘ankh’ hieroglyph and ‘seryt’ fan to the front. The falcon stands on a ‘neb’ basket hieroglyph, which translates as lord.

The scarab has been pierced longitudinally for suspension.

Date: Circa 664-332 BC
Period: Late Period
Provenance: Ex private UK collection, Mr. DP, formerly acquired from a London dealership, BL, from 2004-2012. Seen by Marcel Marée, who catalogues this piece as depicting an 'Egyptian crowned hawk'.
Condition: Very fine condition to the obverse and reverse.

SOLD

SKU: AH-1147 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.

Horus was one of the most important deities of Ancient Egyptian mythology and culture. He was often depicted as a falcon or hawk, or a man with a falcon head. He was considered to be the sky, and it was said that his right eye was the sun and his left one the moon. Horus was associated closely with Pharaonic rule and it was believed that the Egyptian pharaoh was the ‘living Horus’.

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

Weight 3.22 g
Dimensions L 2 x W 1.5 cm
Culture

Egyptian Mythology

Region

Stone