This is a fantastic scarab. Carved from steatite and glazed with a copper-alkalyne glaze, this piece dates to the New Kingdom, circa 19th Dynasty - reign of Rameses II, 1279 - 1213 BC.
The inscription reads Neb-Neferet-Re, which translates as a dedicatory - Beautiful is the Lord, Re.
Harpocrates derives from the Egyptian falcon-god Horus. He is the Greco-Roman version of Horus-the-child, son of Isis and Osiris. Harpocrates was a protector of children and believed to possess the magical powers of Isis. These figures were often placed in temples as votive offerings. Horus (Egyptian Har), was the Hellenistic god known to Greeks as Harpocrates (in Egyptian Har-pa-khered which meant "Har, the Child”). Harpocrates, represents the first strength of the winter sun, and the imag ...click for details
