Large Egyptian Faience Scarab

£ 195.00

A large, ancient Egyptian, faience heart scarab. The rounded obverse of the scarab displays curving incisions denoting the prothorax and elytra, within which shallow vertical incisions adorn the carapace. The head, eyes and clypeus have been naturalistically rendered in high relief. The wide base of the amulet is separated from the top by a deep groove, curving upwards towards the prothorax where the legs of the beetle are carefully carved. This amulet belongs to a tradition of Late Period funerary scarabs which were larger in size and designed to attach to mummy wrappings. A small attachment loop on the reverse of this piece is a feature of this design.

Date: Circa 664-332 BC
Period: Late Period
Condition: Good. A chip to the front of the amulet. Minor wear, pitting and earthy encrustations to the surface. Subtle remnants of turquoise pigmentation survive to the surface.

SOLD

SKU: KW-282 Category: Tags: ,

The scarab beetle was an exceedingly popular symbol in the art of Ancient Egypt, thought to represent the sun god, Ra. 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.

To find out more about Ancient Egyptian amulets, please see our relevant blog post: Egyptian Amulets and their Meanings
Weight 4.63 g
Dimensions L 2.6 x W 1.8 x H 1.1 cm
Culture

Faience

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Region

Reference: For a similar item,The British Museum, item 1888,0601.56

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