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. These scarab beetle amulets were made in various forms, such as heart scarabs, commemorative scarabs, and scarab amulets, thus catering to different functions. Scarab amulets were believed to have magical rejuvenating properties, used by both the living and the dead.
The portrayal of the pharaoh wearing the blue ‘khepresh’ crown was one that gained popularity during the New Kingdom. It had powerful connotations with 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 who wore the Khepresh crown was the god’s representative on Earth, a living king and the representative of Amun-Re. This particular scene was also commonly used during the Rameside Period, depicting Ramesses II smiting his enemy. In this instance, there are no identifying hieroglyphs so we can ascertain that the pharaoh has not been specified.
To find out more about Ancient Egyptian amulets please see our relevant blog post: Egyptian Amulets and their Meanings.
