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Egyptian Carnelian Scarab Egyptian Carnelian Scarab Egyptian Carnelian Scarab Egyptian Carnelian Scarab Egyptian Carnelian Scarab Egyptian Carnelian Scarab
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Details

LOT 0457

Egyptian Carnelian Scarab

NEW KINGDOM-LATE PERIOD, 1550-332 B.C.

3/4 in. (3.07 grams, 19 mm).

A finely carved carnelian scarab (Scarabaeus sacer) modelled naturalistically in the round with anatomical detailing to the carapace, head, legs and underside of the body; slightly domed profile; drilled laterally to the underside of the body for suspension.

Provenance

From an early 20th century Home Counties collection.

This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.114474-196152.

Literature

Cf. The Johns Hopkins Archaeological Museum, accession number 3791, for a similar scarab dated to the Late Period.

Footnotes

The Egyptians saw the scarab as a symbol of renewal and rebirth. The beetle was associated with the sun god because scarabs roll large balls of dung in which to lay their eggs, a behavior that the Egyptians thought resembled the progression of the sun through the sky from east to west. Scarab amulets were used for their magical rejuvenating properties by both the living and the dead. The regenerative powers of scarabs such as the one offered here could be used by either the living or the dead for healing and protection. The striking red/orange colour of the carnelian stone used to produce this amulet strengthens its solar associations.

CONDITION
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AUCTIONS:

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LOT 0457

Egyptian Carnelian Scarab

Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,858

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