A small steatite Egyptian scarab with incised features. The top is carved with the detailed anatomy of a scarab, including a moulded head and clypeus, with incised lines marking the prothorax and elytra. The base is carved with several clear hieroglyphs, including a bee (a sign of royal power) towards the top, a sedge plant, Maat feather and a small cartouche for Thutmose III. Together they would convey the meaning: "The King of Upper and Lower Egypt, the Perfect God, Menkheperre (Thutmose III).
Ancient Egyptian: Circa 15th-6th century BC.
Very Fine condition
Length 13.2 mms (0.52 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 scarab probably served as a protective amulet: Thutmose III was so highly revered for his military conquests and prosperous reign that his throne name, Menkheperre, became a powerful protective charm. Because of this immense legacy, scarabs bearing his name continued to be made as good luck talismans for hundreds of years after his death, stretching into the Third Intermediate and Late Periods.