Canaanite Seatite Scarab with a Wild Animal

$278.02

A steatite Egyptian scarab beetle amulet with incisedfeatures such as clypeus, prothorax and elytra marked by single lines. The reverse is detailed with large wild animal, most likely a lion, it’s fur indicated by incised short strokes. The scarab is pierced longitudinally for suspension.

Date: Circa 1640–1500 BC
Period: Second Intermediate Period, Hyksos Period.
Provenance: from the Gustave Mustaki collection, a collector of antiquities who amassed a large collection in Alexandria (Egypt).
Condition: Very fine.

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SKU: AH-784 Category: Tags: , , ,

This particular scarab bears resemblance to those carved by Canannite craftsmen during Egypt’s Hyksos period. The Hyksos period, during the late Middle Kingdom, was a period of foreign rule by a succession of Asiatic chieftains, hailing from the Levant. Craftsmen followed on the tradition of using scarabs as protection amulets however their style and motifs were different. Hieroglyphs were used simply for the apotropaic properties, rather than specific meaning. Scarabs such as these, with wild animals depicted, were common during this period. Wild animals were meant to be feared and respected and indicated the successful dominance over chaos.

To find out more about Ancient Egyptian amulets please see our relevant blog post: Egyptian Amulets and their Meanings.

Weight 1.4 g
Dimensions L 1.6 cm
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Reference: For Similar: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, item 20.1.28