An ancient Phoenician-Egyptian steatite scarab encased by an elaborate gold mount with a garnet stone. To the top, the mount presents an openwork design composed of granulated triangles and is enriched by a small conical piece of garnet. The sides are decorated with a row of gold pellets between two encircling ridges. The rim of the mount features multiple granulated triangles, forming prongs to secure the scarab in place. Although the obverse of the scarab is covered by the mount, its underside is exposed and engraved with a hieroglyph, possibly a crude depiction of a falcon. The piece has been perforated longitudinally for suspension and is further embellished with a ring of gold pellets on either end of the perforation. In Ancient Phoenicia, as in many ancient societies, jewellery was an important social marker used to demonstrate wealth, social status and privilege. The amuletic nature of this piece is to attribute to the scarab, which, despite being a uniquely Egyptian innovation, soon became integrated into many neighbouring cultures that were in contact with the Ancient Egyptians, such as the Phoenicians. This amulet therefore represents the combination of different characteristics, showing the inter-connectivity of various civilisations in the ancient world through well-established trade routes, with different peoples often borrowing styles and artistic techniques from one another. Measurements: L 1.6cm x W 1.2cm x H 0.9cm Weight: 2.59g Provenance: Ex SM collection London, acquired 1970s-2000s.