A fine Ancient Egyptian steatite scarab featuring a hieroglyphic inscription. The anatomy of the scarab is depicted on the obverse, with the head, eyes and clypeus rendered delicately and clean, linear incisions portraying the prothorax and wing cases. The sides of the scarab are adorned with parallel encircling grooves. The base of the scarab features three prominent hieroglyphs. The symbol is the left register is hard to read from erosion, but possibly includes the sun glyph, Re. The falcon glyph, possibly holding a flaggellum, dominates the centre, a symbol associated with Horus. The right register features an ankh, associated with life. The signs might not intend to form a meaningful phrase or word but rather were chosen for their associations with good fortune. The amulet is perforated longitudinally for suspension. Some wear consistent with age and minor earthy encrustations are visible. The scarab beetle was an exceedingly popular symbol in the art of Ancient Egypt, thought to represent the sun god, Ra. The 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. Measurements: L 1.1cm x W 0.9cm x H 0.7cm Provenance: Ex-AH collection of scarabs, London 1980-2000's.