Scarab Inscribed with Hieroglyphs in a Scroll Border

Second Intermediate Period

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The underside of the scarab shows several hieroglyphs placed inside an oval that is framed by a continuous border of interlocking scrolls. In the upper part of the oval is a wedjat-eye placed underneath two signs that form an incomplete version of a well-known formula of the Middle Kingdom meaning ‘given by Re’. Below are three hieroglyphs forming a debased rendering of the name Ptah. The incorrect inscriptions and the way the back of the scarab is decorated indicate that this is a Canaanite scarab dated to the Second Intermediate Period, ca. 1700-1600 B.C. These Canaanite scarabs often imitate Middle Kingdom designs.

Scarab Inscribed with Hieroglyphs in a Scroll Border, Steatite

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Scarab Inscribed with Hieroglyphs in a Scroll Border, Steatite
Scarab Inscribed with Hieroglyphs in a Scroll Border, Steatite
Scarab Inscribed with Hieroglyphs in a Scroll Border, Steatite
Scarab Inscribed with Hieroglyphs in a Scroll Border, Steatite

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