Egyptian Stone Scarab w/ Incised Animal Motifs

Ancient Egypt, Third Intermediate to Late Dynastic Period, ca. 1070 to 332 BCE. A black hand-carved stone scarab amulet with a suspension hole drilled through lengthwise allowing it to be worn on a necklace strand, a bracelet, or ring. The convex frontside of the figure 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 scarab is decorated with the images of a horse and another animal, possibly a camel. Lovely hints of jade green pigment nicely compliment the sculpture's lustrous exterior. Size: 1.125" L x .6875" W x .625" H (2.9 cm x 1.7 cm x 1.6 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. They seem to have been 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 1948 under license

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#158513
Condition Report: Expected surface wear with minute scratches, cracks, and softening of incised details. Nice green hues throughout from previously being painted. Otherwise, very nice.