An ancient Egyptian steatite scarab featuring an incised reverse. The body of the scarab is finely detailed with elytra and prothorax. The head, eyes, and clypeus are clearly legible and stylised legs are represented with incisions along the side of the scarab. The reverse depicts a pair of crocodiles, placed upside-down in relation to each other. The textured skin of the animals is represented with a cross-hatched incision. In hieroglyphs, a pair of crocodiles can symbolise sovereignty. The scarab is pierced longitudinally for suspension. The scarab beetle was an exceedingly popular symbol in the art of Ancient Egypt, thought to represent the sun god, Ra. The 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. Measurements: L 1.4cm x W 1cm x H 0.6cm Provenance: Ex-AH collection of scarabs, London 1980-2000's.