A stone scarab with legs folded to the side of the body, the pierced for suspension. The underside is carved with hieroglyphic signs which read RA OA KHEPERU KHO NETERU. Pierced longitudinally for suspension.
Supplied with modern wax seal impression.
New Kingdom 18th Dynasty: Circa 1425-1400 BC.
Condition: Very Fine, complete and intact; a small flaw to the surface on the underside which is stable and not problematic.
Length 18 mms (0.7 ins).
Provenance: From the Gustave Mustaki collection, a collector of antiquities who amassed large collection in Alexandria (Egypt) in the early 20th century and his collection came to the UK under Egyptian licence in 1947.
For a similar scarab of Amenhetep II see item 7: Plate XXX: Scarabs and Cylinders with names: W.M. Flinders Petrie.
The hieroglyphic signs serve as a royal epithet or divine invocation linking the king to the sun god Ra and cyclical rebirth. This phrase would be aimed at asserting his divine right to rule (as a manifestation of Ra), emphasizing his role in maintaining cosmic order (Ma'at), and linking him to Khepri's regenerative power, ensuring his eternal legacy.