Egyptian Hyksos Period Scarab with Uraeus

£ 240.00

A fine and well-preserved Egyptian steatite scarab amulet, from the Hyksos period, with incised features such as clypeus, prothorax and elytra marked by single lines. The reverse features a symmetrical pattern. A rearing cobra, known as a Uraeus sits in the middle, flanked by two oval cartouches. Within each cartouche is a crude ‘ankh’ symbol, depicted in two parts; the oval loop and the support. Papyrus stems decorate the upper register above the uraeus, while the basked symbol ‘nb’, is situated at the bottom. The arrangement of the hieroglyphs and their lack of specific meaning is typical of Hyksos period scarabs. Scarabs were apotropaic to the wearer and during a time when Egypt was ruled by foreign rulers, amulets and potent signs were copied and emulated.

Date: Circa 1786 – 1650 BC
Period: Second Intermediate Period, Hyksos Period, Dynasty 15th -17th
Provenance: Ex Mustaki Collection. The scarab comes from the Mustaki Collection. Mustaki was an avid collector in the early 20th century and his collection came to the UK under Egyptian licence in 1947. Many of his pieces are in major museums worldwide, including the British Museum, the Getty Museum and the Egyptian State Museum. This collection and this item has been catalogued by Carol Andrews (formerly Egyptian Department in the British Museum).
Condition: Fine, complete and intact.

SOLD

Product Code: ES-89
Category: Tags: ,

The term ‘Hyksos’ can be traced back to the Egyptian expression ‘heka khasewet’, which means, “rulers of foreign lands”. The Hyksos of the fifteenth Dynasty of Egypt, ruling during the Second Intermediate Period, were thus of non-Egyptian origin. They were probably Canaanite, and one tends to find the names of rulers on their scarabs. The Hyksos Kingdom was centred in the eastern Nile Delta and Middle Egypt. It was limited in size, never extending south into Upper Egypt, and it had Memphis as its capital.

To discover more about amulets in the Ancient Egyptian world, please visit our relevant post: Amulets in Ancient Egypt.

Dimensions L 1.8 cm
Stone

Steatite

Region

North Africa