Vintage shops Ancient Egyptian Superb Faience Ritual Scarab Amulet. Abydos Shrine Area, Upper Egypt, 17 mm.

VINTAGE ANCIENT EGYPTIAN FAIENCE RITUAL SCARAB AMULET

- ACQUIRED FROM TEMPLE OF ABYDOS COMPLEX, UPPER EGYPT, IN 1955

ABYDOS SHRINE - TEMPLE OF SETI I AREA

* EXACT AGE IS NOT DETERMINED

* IT IS GUARANTEED THAT THIS AMULET IS 67 YEARS OLD OR OLDER

- IN SUPERB CONDITION, EXCELLENT DETAILS

- INSCRIBED SCRIPT ON THE BACK, RITUAL INSCRIPTION

Scarabs were popular amulets in ancient Egypt. They survive in large numbers and, through their inscriptions and typology, they are an important source of information for archeologists and historians of the Ancient world. They also represent a significant body of ancient art.

Amulets in the form of scarab beetles had become enormously popular in Ancient Egypt by the early Middle Kingdom (2000BCE) and remained popular for the rest of the shops Pharaonic period and beyond. During that long period the function of scarabs repeatedly changed. Primarily amulets, they were also inscribed for use as Personal or Administrative Seals or were incorporated into jewelry.

Scarabs were generally either carved from stone or molded from Egyptian faience. Once carved, they would typically be glazed blue or green and then fired.

The most common stone used for scarabs was a form of Steatite, a soft stone which becomes hard when fired (forming enstatite). Hard stone Scarabs were also made and the stones most commonly used were green Jasper, Amethyst and Carnelian.

While the majority of scarabs would originally have been green or blue the colored glazes used have often either become discolored or have been lost, leaving most Steatite Scarabs appearing white, beige or brown.

*ACTUAL PHOTOS AS IT WAS ACQUIRED

- DIMENSIONS: 17mm LONG, 12.5mm WIDE, 7.5mm DEEP. (APPROXIMATELY)

- COLOR: REDDISH BEIGE, SHADES OF GREEN AND BLUE

* HOLED THROUGH

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