Scarab. Ancient Egypt, Late Period, c. 664–332 B.C.

Scarab. Ancient Egypt, Late Period, c. 664–332 B.C.
Faience.
Measurements: 5 cm in length.

Egyptian scarab in blue faience, an amulet of great symbolic value in the funerary culture of ancient Egypt. The piece schematically depicts the body of a scarab, with an oval back, and a head and legs barely suggested by incisions, following an iconography widely used since the Middle Kingdom and particularly valued in funerary contexts.

The scarab was associated with the god Khepri, a solar deity linked to dawn, regeneration, and rebirth. Just as the dung beetle rolled the ball of earth, the Egyptians associated it with the daily movement of the sun and with the idea of the cyclical renewal of life.

The blue faience reinforces this protective and regenerative meaning by symbolically linking to water, the sky, and fertility. Given its size and material, the piece could have served as a personal amulet or been part of a burial kit, intended to promote the protection and rebirth of the deceased in the Afterlife.