A Published Egyptian Basalt Heart Scarab, New Kingdom, 20th Dynasty, ca. 1196 - 1070 BCE

Heart scarabs were among the most important funerary amulets of ancient Egypt. Unlike smaller scarabs worn in life, these were produced exclusively for burial and placed within the mummy wrappings over the chest. In Egyptian belief, the heart (ib) was the seat of thought, memory, and conscience. At judgment in the afterlife, it was weighed against the feather of Ma’at. A guilty heart could condemn its owner, and so Chapter 30B was inscribed to silence it, ensuring salvation.

This fine example is expertly carved from black basalt and features a domed back with naturalistic segmentation. The underside is inscribed in six horizontal registers of hieroglyphs, comprising a formula from Chapter 30B of the Book of the Dead. The text identifies the owner as the Waab-priest of Amun-Montu [Her]-wenemuet, appealing to the heart not to rise as a witness against him in the tribunal of Osiris.

The choice of black basalt, a hard, prestigious material, underscores the elevated status of the deceased. Such amulets are first attested in the Middle Kingdom but flourished in the New Kingdom, especially during the 18th–20th Dynasties, when priests and officials often commissioned them.

Published: Christie's London, Antiquities, 3 July 1996, lot 229 

Medium: Basalt

Dimensions: Length: 1 15/16 inches (5 cm), Width: 1 3/16 inches (3 cm)

Condition:  Minor edge wear consistent with age and burial, otherwise intact and in very good condition overall, the inscription remains clear and legible.  

Provenance: Edward Towry Whyte (1847–1932), a British barrister and noted antiquarian collector with a distinguished assemblage of classical and ancient art (catalog number 1477a), thence by descent to his nephew, Sir William Palin Elderton KBE, PhD (Oslo) (1877–1962), a prominent British actuary and statistician, former President of the Institute of Actuaries, then by descent to Mrs. Belinda Kirby, granddaughter of Elderton and great-great niece of Whyte. Sold through Christie's London, 3 July 1996, lot 229, then private Boston collection, acquired from the trade in 2000.