£ 295.00
A fine Egyptian steatite scarab beetle amulet with incised features such as clypeus, prothorax and elytra marked by single lines. The reverse features various incised hieroglyphs to the top register, a large oval cartouche and a prominent winged uraeus incised vertically. The top register features the signs ‘ntr nfr’ to the right, with the basket symbol and two horizontal strokes transliterating as ‘nb tȝwy’. Together the two phrases translate as ‘Perfect God, Lord of the Two Lands’, an epithet commonly seen on scarabs and funerary representations. Within the prominent oval cartouche, depicted horizontally, are the hieroglyphs for the prenomen of Thutmose III, transliterating as Men-Kheper-Re. The final prominent sign is the winged uraeus, with wings outstretched and facing right. The symbol represents the goddess Wadjet, protector of kings and gods. Winged creatures were considered to be apotropaic beings, their stretched wings offering protection.
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Not all scarabs bearing a royal name are contemporaneous to the ruling pharaoh. Some kings were held in particularly high regard, and thus their name appears on scarabs hundreds of years after their reign. Thutmosis III of Dynasty XVIII was particularly honoured in this way, with his praenomen, Men-Kheper-Re, used on scarabs for a period of circa 1000 years.
To discover more about amulets in the Ancient Egyptian world, please visit our relevant post: Amulets in Ancient Egypt.
| Dimensions | L 1.5 cm |
|---|---|
| Stone | Steatite |
| Region | North Africa |
