Circa 664-332 BC, Late Dynastic Period A finely modelled carnelian scarab, the underside naturalistically modelled, a translucent vein on the underside exploited. Mounted in a gold pendant setting with a decorative granular edge and strung around a gold necklace. Necklace and pendant possibly later. The scarab was an amulet of life and power in the form of a dung beetle, animal associated with Khepri, the self-created, Ra as the rising sun. In ancient times it was believed that the beetle was only of the male sex and that it reproduced itself using a dung ball as the ovum. The supposed self- of the beetle was similar to that of Khepri, who created himself out of the nothing. At the same time, the dung ball which was rolled by the beetle was identified with the sun in its cycle across the heavens. The scarab was, therefore, a symbol of resurrection in Egyptian mythology. In one’s lifetime it provided protection against evil, visible or invisible, supplying strength and power every day. In death, he who wore this amulet had the possibility of resurrection and being granted eternal afterlife. Size: L:26.7mm / W:15mm; 4.33g Provenance: Property of a London Gentleman; formerly in a private UK collection formed in the the 1990s.