Egyptian Glass Heart Scarab - Rare Cobalt Blue!

Ancient Egypt, Late Period to Ptolemaic periods, ca. 332 to 30 BCE. A rare, beautiful cobalt blue glass "heart" scarab with carved details of the head, wings, and legs. Heart scarabs are oval amulets that were used as personal protection, jewelry, and grave goods. In the Book of the Dead, they are prescribed to be made of stone, but by the Ptolemaic period, glass came into fashion. A scarab like this one most likely would have been placed inside of a mummy's wrappings over its heart, which the ancient Egyptians believed to be the seat of the mind. After death, according to their beliefs, an individual's heart would be weighed against a feather by the jackal god Anubis before a panel of deities who waited at the gateway to the netherworld to judge the dead. If the heart was lighter than a feather, then the deceased could pass into the next life; if not, they would be devoured by a monster and cease to exist! Size: 1.05" W x 1.6" H (2.7 cm x 4.1 cm)

Provenance: ex-private New Jersey, USA collection

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#149281
Condition Report: Very shallow fissure along one side of the top, otherwise in lovely condition with very light pitting commensurate with age on the surface.