ITEM: Scarab with cross-symbol MATERIAL: Steatite CULTURE: Egyptian PERIOD: Post-Ramesside, 1200 - 900 B.C DIMENSIONS: 16 mm x 11 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. Comes with Certificate of Authenticity and Export license If you bid outside the european union and win the item, we will have to apply for an export licence for your country and shipping will take 3 to 5 weeks. The Seller can prove that the lot was obtained legally , provenance statement seen by Catawiki.