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Details
LOT 0054
Large Egyptian Carnelian Scarab
LATE PERIOD, 664-332 B.C.
7/8 in. (3.98 grams, 22 mm).
Naturalistically modelled, featuring detailed head and elytra, with suspension loop on the underside.
Provenance
Collection of a lady, circa 1940.
Ex Mayfair gallery, London, UK.
Ex an important Wiltshire, UK, collection.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13158-249420.
Literature
Cf. Petrie, W.M.F., Amulets. Illustrated by the Egyptian Collection in University College, London, 1914, pl.XI, items 92a-f.
Footnotes
The scarab amulet was arguably the most ubiquitous symbol in ancient Egypt, representing rebirth, transformation, and protection. Modelled after the scarab beetle, which was associated with the sun god Khepri - believed to roll the sun across the sky - the amulet illustrated the cycle of life and regeneration. Scarabs were commonly placed with the deceased as funerary amulets to ensure safe passage into the afterlife. They also served as seals and personal charms, often inscribed with prayers, names, or protective formulas. Widely used from the early Middle Kingdom (c. 2050 BCE) onwards, scarab amulets reflect both spiritual beliefs and everyday practices in ancient Egyptian life.
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