Egypt, Late Dynastic Period, 26th to 31st Dynasty, ca. 664 to 332 BCE. An impressive heart scarab formed from rare blue paste glass or frit with a pair of modern faience wings bound to the sides. The verso of the insect is inscribed with 6 lines of hieroglyphs from chapter 30b of the Egyptian Book of the Dead; this section details the weighing of the heart, being balanced by Maat, goddess of truth, hence the name "heart scarab." Winged scarabs like this were ornaments typically found beneath a mummy's wrappings across the chest, close to where one's heart would have resided. The ancient Egyptians believed that these winged insects were a spiritual means of ensuring the rebirth of the deceased. Size: 1.4" W x 2" H (3.6 cm x 5.1 cm); 4" H (10.2 cm) on included custom stand.

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, then the deceased could pass into the next life; if not, they would be devoured by a monster and cease to exist.

Scarabs were important symbols in ancient Egypt, as the beetle was believed to represent a divine manifestation of the morning sun, the deity Khepri, whose name was comprised of the scarab hieroglyph and was understood to roll the morning sun disk over the eastern horizon precisely at daybreak. Amulets of the scarab were immensely popular for over a thousand years in ancient Egypt, as the scarab was a symbol with immense staying power, akin to that of the Christian cross. Scarabs were worn and carried by the living, and by the time of the Late Dynastic Period, they had also become part of the increasingly elaborate ensemble of items placed with the deceased for their eternal protection.

Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; ex-St. Petersburg, Florida, USA collection, 2000s

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#176520

Scarab is ancient; wings are modern replacements and are attached via modern string. Expected nicks and abrasions in areas, commensurate with age. Otherwise, heart scarab is intact and excellent with nice remaining pigments and detail. Light patina throughout.