Αρχαία Αίγυπτος, Νέο Βασίλειο Faience Χάντρα (χωρίς τιμή ασφαλείας)

ITEM: Bead
MATERIAL: Faience
CULTURE: Egyptian
PERIOD: New Kingdom, 1550 - 1100 B.C
DIMENSIONS: 25 mm x 8 mm
CONDITION: Good condition
PROVENANCE: Ex American egyptologist collection, active in the early part of the 20th century, brought to the US with the family in 1954.

Scarab amulets were used for their magical rejuvenating properties by both the living and the dead. Scarabs were used by living individuals as seals from the start of the Middle Kingdom (ca. 2055 BCE) onwards. The most common inscription for these scarabs was the owner’s name. The incised design was often a schematic combination of hieroglyphs and geometric patterning. Patterns could often denote the specific administrative office held by the wearer.

Scarabs were also often rendered naturalistically in the round. The regenerative powers of scarabs of this nature could be used by either the living or the dead for healing and protection during quotidian activities or during a deceased person’s passage into the afterlife. The striking red/orange color of this amulet’s carnelian strengthens its solar associations.

Serket (or Selket) was an important goddess in ancient Egyptian religion, associated with protection, healing, and venomous creatures. She was often depicted as a woman wearing a scorpion on her head, symbolizing her role as a guardian against poisonous stings and bites. Serket’s protective nature made her one of the deities invoked for safeguarding both the living and the dead, particularly in medical and funerary contexts. She was believed to have the power to neutralize venom, and her name, meaning "She Who Causes the Throat to Breathe," highlights her role in preventing suffocation, a symptom of scorpion or snake bites.

Serket played a significant role in funerary traditions, particularly as one of the four goddesses who protected the canopic jars of the deceased. She was specifically assigned to guard the jar containing the intestines, associated with the deity Qebehsenuef. Because of this role, Serket was frequently depicted in tombs and temple reliefs, often shown standing with her arms outstretched in a protective gesture. One of the most famous representations of Serket is the gilded statue found in the tomb of Tutankhamun, where she appears alongside Isis, Nephthys, and Neith as a guardian of the young king’s burial chamber.

In addition to her funerary importance, Serket was invoked in medical spells and amulets designed to protect against poison and illness. Egyptian healers and priests would call upon her in rituals meant to cure scorpion or snake bites, often using incantations or magical stelae inscribed with protective texts. Over time, Serket became closely associated with Isis, another powerful healer and mother goddess, leading to overlapping roles in later religious traditions. Today, Serket remains a fascinating figure in Egyptian mythology, embodying the dual aspects of danger and protection, reflecting the Egyptians’ deep understanding of both the perils and remedies of the natural world.

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