A beautiful Egyptian carnelian scarab beetle featuring finely engraved anatomical features, such as the clypeus, prothorax and ridged elytra. The legs extend beyond the body and form the base of the scarab, dipping at the waist. On the underside the front and back legs are separated by a small suspension loop. The amulet is impressively technical and in excellent overall condition. The scarab beetle was an exceedingly popular symbol in the art of Ancient Egypt, thought to represent the sun god, Ra. Ancient Egyptians believed that the scarab beetle rolling its ball of dung across the desert mirrored the journey of the sun across the sky from day to night. As the beetle laid its eggs within the dung, it became a symbol of rebirth and regeneration. The use of carnelian as a material also linked to the sun god, Ra, as the stone’s fiery colour was connected to the solar cult. Measurements: Length~1.6cm, Width~1.1cm, Height~0.6cm Provenance: Ex-AH collection of scarabs, London 1980-2000's.