Description

The base of this scarab is inscribed with the throne name of Ramses II: wsr-mAa.t-ra stp-n-ra. It translates to "Usermaatre Setepenre," meaning "The Justice of Ra is powerful, Chosen of Ra".

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.

Comparable scarabs:

www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/550328

www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/550327

www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/550324

www.imj.org.il/en/collections/598503-0

www.imj.org.il/en/collections/598387-0

Culture

Egyptian

Dating

18th - 19th dynasty, New Kingdom, 1295–1070 B.C.

Size

1,8 cm

Provenance

Dutch private collection, bought via Bonhams Auctions in London. 

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

Condition

Good condition, on top a small superficial crack on the right wing.