Description

This small bright blue faience scarab reads: ra mn(w) nTr nfr, which means 'Ra is eternal, the good god'.

Scarabs were worn as jewelry, carried as talismans, and placed in tombs. They were believed to protect the living from harm and guide the dead safely into the afterlife. Many scarabs were inscribed with names of pharaohs, prayers, or protective spells. Officials used them as personal seals pressed into clay or wax. Some had purely decorative or symbolic inscriptions, while others carried political or diplomatic messages. They were made from a wide range of substances:  steatite (soapstone), faience (glazed ceramic), carnelian, lapis lazuli, and even precious metals.

Translation available by Dutch Egyptologist Huub Pragt.

Culture

Egyptian

Dating

New Kingdom, c. 1570 – 1069 BC

Size

1,3 cm

Provenance

Dutch private collection, bought via Bonhams Auctions in London. 

Bodo Bless (1940-2022) collection, Berlin, formed from 1960s.

Condition

Excellent condition