A stone scarab with plain body, the legs folded to the side of the body; pierced for suspension. The underside is carved with three registers of hieroglyphic signs for the letters 'a-n-r', with additional small signs including an 'ankh'. Pierced longitudinally for suspension.
 
Egyptian Second Intermediate Period - New Kingdom period: Circa 1648-1539 BC.
 
Condition: Very Fine; a slightly enlarged opening at one end of the suspension hole.
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 example see The Walters Art Museum, accession number 42.19.
 
The central band of hieroglyphs are to grant magical and/or divine support (a-n-r-pattern) and regeneration (lotus). It is not possible to determine the exact meaning of the a-n-r-pattern, although several options, such as a relation to the name of the god Re, or to a magic formula are the most favoured.
 
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