Scarabaeus of the Heart. Ancient Egypt, New Empire-Lower... Lot 21

Scarabaeus of the Heart. Ancient Egypt, New Empire-Lower Epoch (1539-332 BC). Steatite. Size: 3.5 x 4.5 x 1 cm. The heart scarab was placed between the mummy's bandages, around the neck or hanging from a chain. It was an amulet of life and power in the form of a dung beetle, an animal associated with Jepri, the self-created, god of the rising sun. This is the most common type of amulet among Ancient Egyptian amulets, and it is small in size and, in most cases, has a hole that allows it to be strung on a necklace. Among the different materials in which scarabs have been made, basalt, granite, amethyst, lapis lazuli, carnelian, gold and, as on this occasion, steatite stand out.