Ancient Egyptian Steatite Scarab (No Reserve Price)

An exceptional Ancient Egyptian steatite scarab with repeating heiroglyh motifs. The scarab has beautifully incised anatomical details including head, eyes, and legs decorated with a hatched motif. The reverse features a border made up of tiny squares, giving a rope-like effect. Within the border are two grided bars alternating with two lines of repeating symbols, and at the base is a 'neb' glyph. The symbols could be 'nefer' glyphs which were used as a good luck symbol.
The scarab is perforated longitudinally and the channel contains earthly sediment. It is in excellent condition with all the details clearly legible. The back and head have some areas of discolouration.

The scarab beetle was an exceedingly popular symbol in the art of Ancient Egypt, thought to represent the sun god, Ra. The Ancient Egyptians believed that the scarab beetle rolling its ball of dung across the desert mirrored the journey of the sun across the sky from day to night. As the beetle laid its eggs within the dung, it became a symbol of rebirth and regeneration.

Measurements: L 1. 2cm x W 0. 8cm x D 0. 5cm

Provenance: Ex-AH collection of scarabs, London 1980-2000's.