Classical World, central Italy, Etruria, ca. 4th to 3rd century BCE. A pair of delightfully detailed, red carnelian scarabs, the beetles with skillfully incised lines for winglets on the elytra, the legs well defined, their undersides engraved in the a globolo style - one presenting a boat with three passengers on board, enclosed within a hatched border, and the other presenting a centaur who is bending to reach back over his body, enclosed with in a plain border. Both have been drilled lengthwise for suspension. Size: .5" L (1.3 cm)

The scarab, beloved in ancient Egypt as a sacred beetle, was an emblem of Khepera, the creator. Given that the word kepher means creation, existence, being, or becoming, the god Kephera, by extension, was regarded as the creator of all. Symbolic of resurrection and fertility, carved scarabs served two primary roles: as personal seals to identify the property of the individual whose name was placed upon them and as amulets possessing spiritual and protective powers. In either case, the scarab was thought to possess immense power. Serving as the owner's signature, the scarab brought about wealth and prosperity during the individual's lifetime. During the afterlife, the scarab was thought to bring about rebirth and eternal life.

Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection; ex-Christie's, New York (sale 3498, December 11, 2014, lot 261); ex-W. Bastiaan Designs, Noordwijk, The Netherlands, 1997

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#136238

Small nick to edge of scarab depicting boat. Minute abrasions to edges of both and minor surface wear to both commensurate with age.