Object Description
A glossy, brown hardstone Egyptian scarab with stylised head and incised hieroglyphs to the reverse. The obverse features a simplified head and clypeus, with slight indentations to indicate the humeral callosities. To the reverse is a central vertical band of hieroglyphs which form the nomen of King Sekhaenre. To the top are the two signs ‘nefer’ and ‘ntr’, which translates as ‘perfect god’. Following below these two signs is a round sun disk, a linear sign described as a ‘door knob’, rays of sun over the hills, an outstretched arm and hand, and a final undulating water ripple. Visually such signs are hard to distinguish from their description, but they would transliterate as ‘s ḫꜥ n rꜥ’. With added vowels this would be written Sekhaenre. As is usual with scarab cartouches, the sun disk does not appear at the end of the list but rather at the top.
The scarab has been pierced longitudinally for suspension.
Date: Circa 1805–1780 BC
Period: Second Intermediate Period