Description:

Ancient Egypt, New Kingdom / Third Intermediate Period, ca. 1550 to 712 BCE. A large, brown-green stone "heart" scarab with carved details of the head, wings, and legs. Around the base are six drilled perforations for attachment. Heart scarabs are oval amulets that were used as personal protection, jewelry, and grave goods. In the Book of the Dead, they are prescribed to be made of stone, usually green stones, such as jasper, serpentine, and greenish basalt. A scarab like this one most likely would have been placed inside of a mummy's wrappings over its heart, which the ancient Egyptians believed to be the seat of the mind. After death, according to their beliefs, an individual's heart would be weighed against a feather by the jackal god Anubis before a panel of deities who waited at the gateway to the netherworld to judge the dead. If the heart was lighter than a feather, then the deceased could pass into the next life; if not, they would be devoured by a monster and cease to exist. Size: 1.95" W x 1.9" H (5 cm x 4.8 cm)

Provenance: ex Allen Davis collection, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

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#131751

  • Condition: Intact, with a dark patina and areas of encrustation on the surface. Very nice remaining detail.

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April 5, 2018 7:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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$300 $999 $50
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$5,000 $9,999 $500
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$20,000 $49,999 $2,000
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
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