Hyksos Period of the 15th Dynasty, ca. 1650-1550 BC. A steatite scarab seal with cyleus, prothorax, and elytra carved with great detail and care. The scarab's flat base is engraved with stylised ornate iconography of bands of knotted motifs. The scarab's longitudinal piercing for suspension suggests that it may have been worn as a talisman or amulet, or used as a seal. The scarab, a symbol of rebirth and regeneration in ancient Egyptian religion, was a popular form of an amulet and seal throughout the history of ancient Egypt. Scarabs were originally associated with the sun god Khepri, who was said to push the sun across the sky each day in the form of a beetle. As a result, the scarab came to be seen as a powerful symbol of resurrection and transformation and was often used in funerary rites and as a protective amulet. Cf. Petrie, W.M. Flinders. 1914. Amulets. Pl. VII.Size: L:20mm / W:15mm ; 2.76gProvenance: From the collection of a London gentleman; formerly acquired in early 2000s; previously in 1970s UK collection.