A fine Ancient Egyptian bronze ellipsoid pendant enclosing a scarab with the underside exposed. The reverse of the scarab depicts stylised hieroglyphs arranged in two registers. At the top, a pair of falcons frame what looks like an ankh or a scarab beetle, with a a vulture with its wings spread depicted underneath. All the forms are filled in with hatched incisions. The bronze frame surrounding the scarab develops into four prongs at the back that meet in the centre to form a suspension loop. Signs of wear, such as dark brown-green patination along the outer border of the scarab and encrustation are all consistent with age. Thin hairline crack to the base of the scarab. The Ancient Egyptians believed that the Scarabaeus Beetle had the ability to spontaneously regenerate itself from cow dung, which these beetles roll around. The scarabs would form small balls by pushing the dung forward and then bury themselves and lay eggs inside. Consequently, the scarab came to be associated with the spontaneous continuation of the life cycle. In addition, this movement resembled the journey the sun does every day across the sky and therefore the Egyptian God Khepri, who represents the morning sun, became strongly associated with this insect. Scarabs are amongst the most popular and most numerous of all Ancient Egyptian artefacts and were especially employed in the funerary context. Measurements (Circa): L 1.3cm x W 1.0cm x H 1.1cm Provenance: Ex London Gentleman Collection, between 1990-2000