Egypt, First Intermediate to Middle Kingdom period, 10th to 13th Dynasty, ca. 2040 to 1680 BCE. A beautiful steatite scarab inscribed with the distinctive cartouche of a pharaoh and set into a modern gold swivel ring to be wearable. The detailed insect is carefully sculpted presenting a deep head with a notched clypeus, delineated wings, and fore and aft legs feathered in both directions - all characteristics that date it to the 10th to 13th Dynasties. The underside of the scarab displays a royal cartouche bearing 4 hieroglyphs next to a serpentine symbol, all flanked by a pair of lunate motifs. Alternatively, the modern, 14 karat gold ring boasts a tubular band decoratively wrapped with gold wire that forms a spiral, almost mimicking the motion of the swiveling bezel that allows the scarab to display either its insect features or its hieroglyphs when worn. Size of ring: 1.2" L x 0.9" W (3 cm x 2.3 cm); of scarab: 0.5" L x 0.4" W (1.3 cm x 1 cm); US ring size: 5.75; gold quality: 14 karats; weight: 4.9 grams

Provenance: private Danvers, Massachusetts, USA collection, acquired by descent; ex-USA collection, acquired before 2000

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

We ship worldwide to most countries and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.

#179236

Ancient scarab set in modern gold swivel ring to be wearable. Some minor nicks and abrasions to scarab with losses to glaze and small chip to proper front right leg, but form and decoration are still very clear. Otherwise, both ring and scarab are intact with nice preservation to detail of scarab. Ring size is adjustable via removable wire on interior of ring.