Egyptian Faience Bead and Amulet Group

Comprising five scarabs: one with a djed pillar surrounded by nwb signs; one with a jackal-headed Anubis holding a staff before a figure, with the scales of Maat above; one with a seated baboon sporting a crescent and sun disc headdress facing a royal cartouche of Thutmose III men-kheper-Re; one with a standing bird and other hieroglyphs; the largest one with worn underside. 1.97 grams total, 14-26 mm



From an early 20th century Home Counties, UK, collection.

The scarab, which represented the dung beetle, was the most popular amulet in ancient Egypt for approximately two thousand years until the Ptolemaic Period when it gradually fell out of favour. The popularity of scarabs extended beyond the borders of Egypt, and they were also distributed and produced in other regions, such as Phoenicia and Israel. The beetle is named khepri, derived from the verb 'to come into existence', and was considered the embodiment of the creator god Khepri, who was self-engendered. The ancient Egyptians mistakenly believed that the young beetle emerging from the dung ball was the result of an act of self-creation.

Irregular in plan with biconvex section. 380 grams, 14 cm



Found Egypt, North Africa. From the British art market in the 1970s-1980s. Acquired via inheritance, 1988. From the collection of a South West London, UK, specialist Stone Age collector.

Comprising tubular and annular beads in blue, green and cream colours, the upper half of two Tawaret amulets, a fragmentary wedjat eye, the lower half of a seated figure, probably Isis, and a complete amulet of the god Shu. 22 grams total, 2-21 mm



From an early 20th century Home Counties, UK, collection.