Scarab

Art Historical Context

This exquisite scarab, crafted around 1479–1458 B.C. during Egypt's New Kingdom (Dynasty 18), exemplifies the era's mastery of faience—a vibrant, glazed ceramic made from crushed quartz and fired to a brilliant blue-green sheen. Measuring just 1.5 cm long, this diminutive amulet was produced using intricate molding and glazing techniques, allowing for fine details on its beetle form despite its small scale. Faience's durability and luminous quality made it ideal for everyday sacred objects, bridging the divine and the domestic in ancient Egyptian life. Scarabs like this one symbolized rebirth...