An Egyptian Fiery Orange Scarab, 26Th Dynasty, Ca. 664-525 BCE

A dome-shaped scarab of bright orange carnelian, carved simply with a few incised marks to form the face of the beetle.

The most favorable pieces of carnelian are a deep red to red-orange hue like this one. Carnelian stones, which were immensely popular throughout Egyptian antiquity, originated from deposits in the Arabian Peninsula and India. Egyptians believed that carnelian (also known as cornelian) was endowed with magical powers; it caused the blood to circulate smoothly throughout the body, made the skin healthy and youthful and was capable of warding off evil the evil eye.

Condition: The scarab is intact and in excellent condition overall, recently mounted as a ring of 14K gold.

Provenance: The scarab is from the private collection of Rita Okrent, California and was acquired in the late 1960s.