Egyptian Steatite Scarab with Hieroglyphs

$221.15

A steatite Egyptian scarab beetle amulet with incised features such as clypeus, prothorax and elytra marked by single lines. The reverse features three hieroglyphs, depicting from left to right: a winged cobra with its wing outstretched to offer protection, a central falcon sign and an ankh symbol of life.

Date: Circa 1550 - 1070 BC
Period: New Kingdom Period
Provenance: from the Gustave Mustaki collection, a collector of antiquities who amassed a large collection in Alexandria (Egypt).
Condition: Excellent. With very fine and clearly defined hieroglyphs.

SOLD

SKU: AH-785 Category: Tags: , , ,

The winged cobra, uraeus, hieroglyph represents the goddess Wadjet, protector of kings and gods. She was the goddess of Lower Egypt and a firmly established figure in the Egyptian pantheon from the Early Dynastic Period. She appears, along with her sister the vulture goddess Nekhbet, in the ‘Two Ladies’ name of the pharaoh, just one of the five royal titulars. The Two Ladies name signified the pharaoh’s dominion over both Lower and Upper Egypt.

Within the Osiris Myth, Wadjet is the protectress of Horus, raising him together with Isis, hence the inclusion of the falcon hieroglyph upon this scarab. Horus was depicted as a falcon-headed man and considered the protector of the pharaoh. As he had manifestations dedicated to both Lower and Upper Egypt, he was the perfect god to represent their unification.

The ankh is one of the most recognisable Egyptian symbols, representing life. Depicted as a cross with a large loop, it was often helf by various gods and goddesses on iconography. One such goddess was Isis, mother of Horus, and another deity associated with regeneration and kinship.

The three hieroglyphs represent deities with powerful apotropaic properties and it is likely the owner of such as scarab is calling upon their protection.

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

Weight 0.9 g
Dimensions L 1.3 cm
Country

Culture

Egyptian Mythology

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Stone