AN EGYPTIAN INSCRIBED STEATITE SCARAB, LATE PERIOD

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AN EGYPTIAN INSCRIBED STEATITE SCARAB, LATE PERIOD This lot is from a single owner collection and is therefore offered without reserve Egypt or Canaan, 664-332 BC. Naturalistically carved to depict a stout-bodied dung beetle, the convex dorsal surface is subtly ridged to indicate the elytra, with marked clypeus and head, and the legs defined in low relief along the sides; perforated horizontally for suspension. The base engraved with a hieroglyphic inscription showing a standing falcon-headed deity flanked by rearing uraei within an oval border. Important Note: For essential information on the Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger and provenance documentation please visit here: www.zacke.at/rubencollection_ledger Dimensions: Length 2.1 cm Falcon-headed figures are frequently encountered on Canaanite scarabs of the Middle Bronze Age (circa 1700-1500 BC), contemporary with the Second Intermediate Period in Egypt, and are commonly shown holding a flower, branch or cobra while accompanied by Egyptian symbols of divine authority. Although produced in Canaanite workshops, these scarabs reveal the strong influence of Egyptian religion and iconography, and the falcon-headed figure is generally understood as representing the god Horus or a related solar deity. The present example, with the standing falcon-headed figure flanked by rearing uraei, belongs to the later phase of this tradition, dating to the Hyksos period, when rulers of foreign origin governed northern Egypt from their capital at Avaris while adopting and disseminating Egyptian artistic conventions. Such scarabs offer a remarkable testament to the cultural exchange between Egypt and the Levant during the Second Intermediate Period, combining Egyptian religious symbolism with the distinctive craftsmanship of Canaanite glyptic production. The ancient Egyptians believed that the dung beetle, the Scarabaeus sacer, was one of the manifestations of the sun god. Representations of these beetles were used as amulets, and for ritual or administrative purposes. Literature comparison: Compare a related Hyksos steatite scarab with a similar motif to the base, 2.2 cm long, dated Second Intermediate Period, in the British Museum, registration number 1888,0601.65. Compare a related Canaanite glazed steatite scarab with a similar motif to the base, 1.6 cm long, dated Second Intermediate Period, circa 1640-1500 BC, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 15.3.155.

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