A steatite scarab with clypeus, prothorax and elytra marked by single lines; pierced for suspension. The underside is carved with a central ankh within a cartouche within a surrounding band of dot in circle designs.
Supplied with hard wax impression of the design.
 
Egyptian Hyksos period: Circa 1650-1550 BC.
 
Condition: Very Fine.
Length 15.6 mms (0.6 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.
 
Compare with Matouk, F.S., Corpus du scarabée égyptien. Vol. 2: Analyse thématique, Beirut, 1976, p.408, no. 2174.
 
The ankh hieroglyph was a common but powerful sign denoting life and rebirth.
 
See our blog post on scarabs