Egyptian New Kingdom Stone Scarab - Bes

**First Time At Auction**

Ancient Egypt, New Kingdom, 18th to 20th Dynasty, ca. 1549 to 1076 BCE. An elegant hand-carved cream colored Egyptian stone scarab with a hole channeling lengthwise through the piece to allow it to be worn as a necklace or bracelet. The front of the amulet is incised in meticulous detail with lines defining the scarab's insectile features, such as a folded wing carapace, a petite head with hemispherical eyes, and tucked legs. The underside of the piece is adorned with an image of Bes, the dwarf god tasked with protecting those within a household with the magical sign "sa." As is typical for the jovial god, he stands nude with his hands on the hips of his rotund body and his phallus draped between his legs. With a quartet of tendrils projecting from his head, the stunted deity is flanked by two similar looking figures, most likely merchant priests who were noted for their likeness to Bes. Size: 1.25" L x 0.875" W x 0.375" H (3.2 cm x 2.2 cm x 1 cm)

Amulets of the scarab were hugely popular for over a thousand years in ancient Egypt, a symbol with staying power similar to that of the Christian cross. Scholars posit that they were worn and carried by the living, although by the time of the Third Intermediate Period, they had also become part of the increasingly elaborate battery of items to be placed into graves for protection of the dead.

Provenance: ex Estate of Eldert Bontekoe, Pegasi Numismatics, Ann Arbor, Michigan USA acquired before 2000, ex Gustave Mustaki of Alexandria, Egypt exported in 1948 under license

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#158511
Condition Report: Minor nicks/chips commensurate with age. Overall, intact and excellent.