Egyptian Turquoise Faience Scarab Dedicated to Amun
$373.19
A vivid turquoise glazed steatite scarab incised to the front with a single line to depict the clypeus, prothorax and elytra. The reverse features various hieroglyphs placed into an oval cartouche. To the left are the signs forming the name of the Egyptian god Amun: the feather 𓆄, the draughtboard sign 𓏠, and the water ripple sign 𓈖, transliterated as ‘a-mn-n’. To the right feature the symbols 𓈖 ‘n’ and 𓇿 ‘š’, representing a ripple of water over a garden pool. The scarab has been pierced longitudinally for suspension.
The item is accompanied by a museum quality impression.
Date: Circa 1550-1070 BC
Period: New Kingdom Period
Provenance: Ex private London based collection, AH, formerly in English family collections acquired from the 1920s - 1990s.
Condition: Fine condition, with defined hieroglyphs and anatomical features.
SOLD
Amun was one of the principle deities within the Egyptian pantheon. Worshipped from the Old Kingdom, his importance grew and he was eventually placed as the patron god of Thebes. His national importance was affirmed with the fusion of Amun and the sky-god, Ra, to become Amun-Ra. He was associated by the Ancient Greeks to Zeus. Not seen on scarabs before the 18th Dynasty, the name Amun or Amun-Ra became a popular inscription on amulets in both Egypt and Palestine for the duration of the New Kingdom. These commonly display the name of the god alone and filling their entire field, or accompanied by additional motifs as seen on this piece. The popularity of scarabs dedicated to Amun can be linked with the revival of the deity’s cult after the 2nd Intermediate Period.
To find out more about Ancient Egyptian amulets please see our relevant blog post: Egyptian Amulets and their Meanings.
