A Good-luck Scarab

Greyish-beige Steatite
Canaanite, early MBA, ca. 1700-1640 BC
2.1 x 1.45 x 0.8cm

The base depicts a “shrine-like motif” typical of early Canaanite scarabs of the Middle Bronze Age, with good-luck hieroglyphs enclosed by the shrine and flanking it. The design and particular back type of the scarab date it between ca. 1700-1640 BC. The inspiration for depicting good-luck hieroglyphs on Canaanite scarabs came from Egyptian Middle Kingdom scarabs.

Condition: very good, as illustrated

Provenance: Formerly, priv. coll. of Ambassador G. P. before 1965

Item reference: EG1290/GP4