This is a very rare large Egyptian revival pendant made in England circa 1870. The 18 carat gold holder is decorated with enamel with an Egyptian style color palette of red, white and blue. An ancient scarab called a heart is attached to the mount. This amulet (4.3 x 3.3 cm) in turquoise glazed porcelain represents a scarab beetle. It dates from the Ptolemaic or Roman period (1 BC – 1 AD).
Scarab icon
This scarab is an authentic Egyptian artifact, brought back from Egypt. For the ancient Egyptians, the dung beetle or dung beetle was a symbol of resurrection and eternal life. The fact that it used its hind legs to roll a piece of dung back to its nest made the Egyptians believe that this insect had power equal to the god Ra. Why? Because Ra moved the sun in the same way. Because the sun rises every day and forever, the scarab beetle is as sacred as Ra.
Scarabs are often given to the deceased to ensure life after death. (Since the amulet is not inscribed with a prayer or name, it is unlikely that this scarab was buried with an important person. Its appeal is no less powerful for that.) Initially eliminated This heart-shaped scarab was sewn onto the mummy’s chest accompanied by two pairs of wings to aid the journey to the afterlife. On the back of this amulet a small trace of the wrapped mummy can even be seen. Scarab symbols are used for many purposes including inscribing prayers, as official seals, and commemorating special events. Some scarab charms are also worn in everyday life as a ‘permanent’ protection against evil.
The Great Discoveries and Revival of Egypt
Many discoveries about great cultures have led to a revival of interest in their art and jewelry. Among these were the Roman, Greek and Celtic revivals. The discovery of the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs and the objects with which they were buried and which were believed to carry with them into the afterlife, has inspired many works of art.
Napoleon was greatly inspired by Egypt at the time of his Egyptian expedition in 1798, which was reflected in early 19th century French art and architecture in the form of Egyptian decoration , such as the scarab beetle, the sphinx, the winged lion, and the lotus.
Napoleon was very superstitious and is said to have worn a simple Egyptian scarab as a talisman on his finger. So as not to be lonely in the afterlife, the story goes that he also gave one to his mistress, Marie Walewska.
There are many highlights of Egypt in the mid-19th century. The Rosetta Stone helped Jean Francois Champillon decipher Egyptian hieroglyphs – all traditional works of art and jewelry of the time were decorated with inscriptions. figurative. In 1859, archaeologist Auguste Mariette discovered the tomb of Queen Ahhotep (from 1550 BC) and her jewels were displayed at the 1862 World Exhibition in London, where they attracted the attention of the Prince of Wales. Having just returned from a grand tour in Egypt, the Prince gave Princess Alexandra of Denmark a very special wedding gift in 1863: an Egyptian-style necklace featuring a scarab made by jeweler Robert Phillips. do.
It was not until after the discovery of Ahhotep’s tomb and the creation of the Suez Canal in 1867 that Egyptomania spread like wildfire across Europe. This pendant combines an ancient artifact with a modern (Victorian) context, providing an astonishing synthesis in the field of Egyptian art. Ancient traditions always seem to inspire contemporary developments.
