Scarab beetle amulet

The way the scarab beetle would push a ball of dung for food and to lay its larvae in it, led the ancient Egyptians came to associate the beetle to the journey of the sun across the sky . 

Moving around the edge of the beetle, you can see the holes that go through the scarab to attach it to a mummy. If you look at the reverse of the object, you can see the underside is flat and undecorated, suggesting it was designed to lay flat. 

The left wing has been broken and joined with modern adhesive, but the repair is visible on both sides of the object.

  • Catalogue no: UC69860

Link to catalogue entry ↗