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LOT 0482
Egyptian Faience Scarab
2ND MILLENNIUM B.C.
3/4 in. (0.89 grams, 18 mm).
Anatomical detailing on the head and legs, with the underside featuring sedge plant (swt), ankh, and nefer symbols. [No Reserve]
ProvenancePrivate collection, 1990s-early 2000s.
LiteratureCf. Ben-Tor, D., Scarabs, Chronology, and Interconnections: Egypt and Palestine in the Second Intermediate Period, Fribourg/Göttingen, 2007, pl. 10, nos. 3, 6-8, 12, for scarab designs incorporating the central horizontal bar with sedge plant symbols and other signs.
FootnotesScarabs featuring this design arrangement have been found in numerous sites in Palestine and were inspired by Middle Kingdom prototypes.
CONDITIONTimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
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