Ancient Egypt, New Kingdom, 18th to 20th Dynasty, ca. 1550 to 1070 BCE. A hand-carved stone scarab of veristic form with a petite head, a pronounced clypeus, a broad thorax, and finely striated elytra, all covered in a layer of lustrous gold foil. 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, and by the time of the Late Period, they had also become part of the increasingly elaborate battery of items to be placed into graves for protection of the dead. Size: 0.94" L x 0.7" W (2.4 cm x 1.8 cm)
Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection, purchased at Ira & Larry Goldberg Coins & Collectibles on May 26, 2021; ex-Richard Fells collection, 1990s
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#173284
Condition
Chipping, wear, and earthen deposits to gold leaf as shown with light abrasions to underlying stone. Great luster to remaining gold leaf.