An Egyptian steatite scarab beetle with naturalistic incised features such as clypeus, prothorax and elytra. The underside features incised hieroglyphs, including a bird, possibly a duck. The amulet is pierced longitudinally for suspension. The amulet displays some brown residue over the body, though the incising is mostly clear and the underside is well-preserved. The scarab beetle was an exceedingly popular symbol in the art of Ancient Egypt, thought to represent the sun god, Ra. Ancient Egyptians believed that the scarab beetle rolling its ball of dung across the desert mirrored the journey of the sun across the sky from day to night. As the beetle laid its eggs within the dung, it became a symbol of rebirth and regeneration. The use of carnelian as a material also linked to the sun god, Ra, as the stone’s fiery colour was connected to the solar cult. Measurements: Length~1.3cm, Width~0.9cm, Height~0.5cm Provenance: Ex-AH collection of scarabs, London 1980-2000's.