ANCIENT EGYPTIAN STONE SCARAB
Ca. 1069 BC-664 BC. A stone scarab with well-modelled body, perforation for suspension, and engraved underside. Scarabs, from Latin scarabaeus (“beetle”), which in turn comes from Greek karabos (“beetle”; “crayfish”), were artistic depictions of the Egyptian dung beetle. In Egyptian mythology, these insects were linked to the Sun God Ra, who after his death in the Underworld, was reborn as a scarab. Used as amulets, seals, and to fulfil commemorative functions, scarabs were an important element of dress. Their undersides frequently feature hieroglyphic or geometric designs to identify their owners or ward off evil spirits. See K. M. Kooney (2008). ‘Scarabs,’ in The UCLA Encyclopaedia of Egyptology, available online at https://escholarship.org/uc/item/13v7v5gd Fair condition. Size: L:23.1mm / W:17.7mm ; 8.08g Provenance: Property of a North London gentleman; previously acquire on the UK/European art market in the 1980s.

Estimate: GBP 150 - 300