By far the most important amulet in ancient Egypt was the scarab, symbolically as sacred to the Egyptians as the cross is to Christians.
The underside of the abdomen, or flat side, of the scarabs was usually inscribed with the names of pharaohs and officials, private names, magical mottos, formulae, volute designs and other patterns, images of deities, sacred animals, and religious symbols.
Scarabs were a common form of "charm" which everyone could afford and easily wear strung on a cord on their person. Most scarabs were made for the living. The small magical object was believed imbued with particular protective powers that warded off evil and provided good things for the owner for this life and also for the next, particularly when sewn to mummy wrappings.
Although scarabs are known from the earliest periods, it is in the 12th dynasty that their use as seals became common. The great majority of scarab seals were quite small, generally measuring around three-quarters of an inch long by half-an-inch wide and about a quarter of an inch high.
It is my pleasure to present to you the following scarabs. Most have been translated and all are a wonderful piece of history.
Scarabs page 1 [ with thumbnail images ]
| Heart Scarab,
Alabaster,
Upper Egypt, 26th - late Dynasty. length: 27 mm width: 23 mm Nice rare example of a heart scarab with natural-style base (the legs of the scarab portrayed). Some encrustation present but would probably clean up well. Egyptians believed that the heart was the originator of all feelings and actions and the storehouse of their memory. A heart scarab was placed over the heart to assure that the heart would not speak against the deceased and would balance favorably against the feather of an ostrich. This allowed the deceased to proceed into the afterlife. See "Amulets of Ancient Egypt" by Carol Andrews, pages 56-59 for similar. ex. Smith collection. Part of a hoard unearthed in in the Cairo/Giza area. |
$345.00 |
| Scarab, Steatite,
Lower Egyptian/Canaanite, Hyksos period length: 24 mm width: 16 mm Beautiful larger scarab with gold bezel and ends. Nice scroll pattern with "wah" (endurance) above and below. see Rowe 405 for similar. ex. Part of a hoard unearthed in Palestine and southern Israel, legally exported through Jerusalem. |
$395.00 |
| Scarab,
Dark-green Stone, Lower Egyptian/Canaanite 19th - 20th dynasty length: 20.0 mm width: 14.5 mm Lion or tiger running right, tail curled above; "nb" or lord and scroll above and below. Nice scroll-work on back, strong design on face. Providence: Part of a hoard unearthed in Palestine and southern Israel, legally exported through Jerusalem. |
$295.00 |
| Scarab, Jasper,
Lower Egypt, 4th - 2nd century BC length: 19.0 mm width: 14.0 mm
Smooth stone, nice style. Providence: Part of a old collection in Beirut, collected in the 1950s. |
$295.00 |
| Scarab, Black
stone,
Lower Egyptian/Canaanite, Hyksos length: 29.0 mm width: 20.0 mm
Providence: Part of a hoard unearthed in Palestine and southern Israel, legally exported through Jerusalem. |
$345.00 |
|
Scarab, Carnelian, Canaanite, 18th - 19th dynasty length: 18.5 mm width: 13.5 mm Beautiful carnelian scarab with plain base. The specimen is longitudinally pierced-through for attachment to amulet jewelry or mummy wrappings. Petrie type T, 71 (var.). See Rowe 426 for similar. ex. Part of a hoard unearthed in Palestine and southern Israel, legally exported through Jerusalem. |
$395.00 |
| Scarab, Steatite,
Canaanite,
18th - 19th dynasty, length: 13.19 mm width: 9.42 mm “(r nh hr nfr) ra ankh horus nefer – Life to king Horus.” Petrie type V, pl LXX, 27. ex. Part of a hoard unearthed in Palestine and southern Israel, legally exported through Jerusalem. |
$275.00 |
|
Scarab, Amethyst, Canaanite, 18th - 19th dynasty length: 21.0 mm width: 16.0 mm Beautiful amethyst scarab with plain base. The specimen is longitudinally pierced-through for attachment to amulet jewelry or mummy wrappings. Petrie type Y, 80 (var.). See Rowe 426 for similar. ex. Part of a hoard unearthed in Palestine and southern Israel, legally exported through Jerusalem. |
$495.00 |
