A fine steatite scarab with plain body; pierced for suspension. The underside is carved with several clear hieroglyphic signs which include two stylised Red Crowns (deshret) of Lower Egypt and a Nb sign towards the bottom.
 
Egyptian Second Intermediate Period to New Kingdom period: Circa 1650-1500 BC.
 
Condition: Very Fine; with well-defined hieroglyphic signs.
Length 17.1 mms (0.7 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.
 
The tall, flat-topped shapes with the curled projection are the signs for the Red Crown(s) (Deshret), the sign for Lower Egypt, however on scarabs, repetition strengthens an idea rather than pluralising it, to give an overall meaning of authority, rule, legitimacy etc. An Egyptian would not ask "what does this spell?" but "What is the overall meaning or what power does this invoke?" So perhaps this scarab symbolised enduring stability and protection through royal authority.
 
See our blog post on scarabs