Egypt, Late Dynastic to Ptolemaic Period, ca. 664 to 30 BCE. A large black serpentine heart scarab with hand-carved details delineating the head, legs, and body. Fine incised lines detail the folded wing case, and the underside is uncarved. Heart scarabs were prescribed by the Book of the Dead to be made of stone, usually greenstone, such as jasper, serpentine, and green basalt. A scarab like this would have been placed inside of a mummy's wrappings over its heart, which the ancient Egyptians believed to be the seat of the mind. After death, according to their beliefs, an individual's heart would be weighed against a feather by the jackal god Anubis before a panel of deities who waited at the gateway to the netherworld to judge the dead. If the heart was lighter than a feather, than the deceased could pass into the next life; if not, they would be devoured by the monster Ammut and cease to exist. Size: 2" L x 1.3" W (5.1 cm x 3.3 cm).

Provenance: private Davis collection, Houston, Texas, USA; ex-Bonhams, London, Knightsbridge Antiquities Auction (May 8, 2013, lot 326); ex-private French collection of M.D., acquired prior to 1970

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.

#138701

Minor nicks and abrasions to details on topside and peripheries, and some fading to some finer details, otherwise intact and very good. Light earthen deposits within some recessed areas.