An Ancient Egyptian feldspar scaraboid, inscribed on both sides with hieroglyphs. One side shows the dedication Nefer Sa Ra (nfr s? R?) in three symbols: Nefer (nfr): Often depicted as a heart and trachea, meaning "beautiful," "good," or "perfect." Sa (s?): A hieroglyph for "son." Ra (R?): the sun god, one of the most prominent deities in ancient Egypt. The phrase likely translates to "Beautiful Son of Ra" or "Good Son of Ra." It could refer to a title, a pharaoh, or an idealized symbolic figure representing loyalty to Ra. The reverse carries the signs which form the name of the god Amun.
Supplied with a modern hard wax impression of each side.
New Kingdom period: Circa 1400–1100 BC
Very Fine condition.
Length 22.4 mms (0.9 ins)
Provenance: From the Gustave Mustaki collection, a collector of antiquities who amassed large collection in Alexandria (Egypt) in the early 20th century and his collection came to the UK under Egyptian licence in 1947.
For a similar obverse on a scaraboid of Amenhotep II, see item 24, plate XXX; Scarabs and Cylinders with names; W.M. Flinders Petrie
The scaraboid would have functioned as an amulet with royal motto and divine provider individualization. It will have served as a protective amulet: invoking the blessings and protection of Amun-Ra, a supreme deity in Egyptian religion, as well as serving as a being a symbol of kingship or divine legitimacy: the "Beautiful Son of Ra" may refer to the pharaoh, who was often considered a divine son of the sun god Ra. It can be understood as an object binding together the owner, the king and the god.