Egyptian scarabs : date and interpretation

[thenickelguy]

So fascinating. I've always wanted to get at least one of these scarabs and a ushabti figure but know so little about them. Maybe someday one of you people will post one for sale on the cabinet. All I have is a heavy brass hinged scarab. It is maybe from 1950 to 1970? If I run across it, I'll edit and add a picture. I think the hieroglyphs on the underside are probably decorative gibberish. It is still a nice hunk of decorative brass but not the real thing.

Thanks for the neat thread!

[DonnaML]

Did anyone else buy any of the nearly 150 ancient scarabs offered in today's CNG e-auction no. 528? The substantial majority appear to be from the collection of the American Numismatic Society, given that they were sold "for the benefit" of the ANS and that the hieroglyphic inscriptions, where present, are all translated. I didn't even know that the ANS ever collected scarabs, but it seems, among other things, that E.T. Newell, the ANS President until his death in 1941, was a major collector of scarabs, intaglios, cylinder seals, etc., in addition to coins. See his obituary at https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/BASOR3218914?journalCode=basor .

I purchased two of the ANS scarabs -- one depicting a uraeus and goose bearing the name of the Hyksos king Nekare, and the other from the New Kingdom with an image of the cat goddess Bastet as part of the inscription "May the truth of Lady Bastet endure."  I will post photos and more details after the scarabs arrive, in the thread for my own antiquities collection.

Edited December 1, 2022 by DonnaML

[DonnaML]

For anyone interested, I would estimate that at least 15 of the 150 went unsold. I don't know what CNG's policy is regarding the availability of unsold lots for purchase.

 

[Hesiod]

1 hour ago, DonnaML said:

For anyone interested, I would estimate that at least 15 of the 150 went unsold. I don't know what CNG's policy is regarding the availability of unsold lots for purchase.

 

You can email CNG asking if you can buy them at opening; they'll ask the consignor if that's okay. (I've done this once int he past).

 

I don't think the scarabs are from the ANS persay, it's not that rare for a consignor to ask for items to be sold with the proceeds going to the ANS. I managed to win 3 scarabs: one of the Hyskos ones with a geometric pattern, and two new kingdom scarabs (one with Anubis and one with two uraei).

[thenickelguy]

On 11/28/2022 at 10:10 PM, thenickelguy said:

So fascinating. I've always wanted to get at least one of these scarabs and a ushabti figure but know so little about them. Maybe someday one of you people will post one for sale on the cabinet. All I have is a heavy brass hinged scarab. It is maybe from 1950 to 1970? If I run across it, I'll edit and add a picture. I think the hieroglyphs on the underside are probably decorative gibberish. It is still a nice hunk of decorative brass but not the real thing.

Thanks for the neat thread!

I'm quoting myself to keep my promise. Haven't had much else to write about lately as I haven't acquired any new coins. I did find my trinket box.

It has an original patina and I still like it. As I stated, I'm sure the hyroglyphics are probably nonsense and might translate to "Made in Pakistan" LOL but I still like it.

I found a cast iron fly box too I boxed away with it. I remember I bought a lot of various very old cast items at the same time. A heavy round 13 star trivet, a 100 year anniversary cast hatchet of Washington's 1789 Inauguration. Definitely an original as there are many repros. I have an eagle with a rust fused square nut with traces of original blue paint. Also found an architectural cast iron 5 pointed star wall tie bar you would see on opposite sides of older buildings from the later 1800's. There are other neat cast items from that lot as well.

Here's my brass scarab, (which looks like it was used as an ashtray) and my fly anyway in gold paint but never was hinged.

[antwerpen2306]

I have to congratulate you, you have the exact translation of your scarab 😀

It is amusing to get some of this things as long as it is not to expensive. If you still smoke, it is a useful thing.

 

[Tejas]

I didn't think there was a Scarab thread on this forum. I only have a few Scarabs. I'm not really a collector, but can't resist here and there to buy one if it looks interesting and reasonably priced. 

I got this one in a recent auction:

New Kingdom (c. 1550-1069 BC), temp. Thutmose I (1506-1493 BC), large green glazed scarab, with cartouche and name of the king, 20mm, 4.09g. Very fine

I love ancient Egyptian history and have been to Egypt several times and travelled the whole length of the Nile from Alexandria to Abu Simbel. Last year we did a trip on a Dahabya (a small saling ship) up the Nile from Luxor to Assuan. In the 1990s I spend 3 weeks in Luxor, exploring every temple and tomb that was accessible and some that weren't really. 

In Luxor, I would never stay anywhere but the Old Winter Palace Hotel. It still preserves some of the charme of the 19th and early 20th centuries when all of the exiting discoveries went on in Egypt. 

 

Edited March 9 by Tejas

[antwerpen2306]

IVery nice scarab, do you have a translation. I have some ideas on the first view, but I am not at home for the moment. 

The name of Thoutmosis I doedn t mean the scarab is to date on hislifetime period.

 

 

[Tejas]

I don't have the complete reading. 

The legend includes the throne name with the prenom: Aa kheper Ka Ra (great is the manifestation of the soul of Ra)

The hieroglyphs on the left read (I think): Nṭr nfr nb t3wy Ra (the perfect god, lord of the two lands Ra)

The hieroglyphs on the right, I have yet to decipher.

 

It is of course true that the presence of Thutmosis I name on a scarabaeus does not mean that it was produced in his lifetime. In fact, his name was still used up to 1000 years after his reign.

However, I think this scarab is likely to have been produced either during his reign or not too long thereafter. The reasons being:

1. The scarab's features are consistent with the new kingdom, rather than the later or late periods.
2. The hierogphys are exceptionally well executed. The workshop that produced the scarab probably worked for the royal court (or at least produced a quality that was fit for the king).
3. While most hierogpyphs on scarabs were copied by illiterate craftsmen, especially those of the later periods. This, unusually long legend appears to be the work of somebody who knew what he was writing, or at least who worked to a standard that was controlled by professional scribes.

My theory is that this scarab was "issued" at the accession to the throne of Thutmosis I in around BC 1504, but that is pure speculation or wishful thinking of course. 🙂