An Egyptian Steatite Scarab for Thutmosis III, New Kingdom, ca. 1479 – 1426 BCE

carved from steatite, with naturalistically rendered legs, pierced horizontally for suspension. Functioning as an amulet, the base is finely incised with a scarab and uraei that flank the cartouche for the great warrior King, Thutmosis III, and reads: “The good god, lord of the Two Lands, Menkheperre”.

Thutmose III (died 1426 BCE), king (reigned 1479–1426 BCE) of the 18th dynasty, is often regarded as one of the greatest rulers of ancient Egypt. Thutmose III was a skilled warrior who brought the Egyptian empire to the zenith of its power by conquering all of Syria, crossing the Euphrates (see Tigris-Euphrates river system) to defeat the Mitannians, and penetrating south along the Nile River to Napata in the Sudan. He also built a great number of temples and monuments to commemorate his deeds. 

Medium: Steatite

Dimensions: Length: 5/8 inch (1.5 cm)

Condition: The scarab is intact and in very good condition overall.

Provenance: Private Maryland collection of a diplomat, acquired while serving in Egypt between 1949 and 1956, and then by descent.