This steatite scarab has a flat underside with a vertically and horizontally arranged design with the combination of two lower Egyptian crowns and four cobras with raised upper bodies on baskets. The design of the back is detailed with finely incised lines and regular line flow. The proportions of the top are well balanced. The piece is simply made with good workmanship.
The scarab functioned as an amulet with kingship connotations. The amulet refers to all-inclusive divine protection, royal power, and perfection. The red crown symbolizes not only the royal aspect but also magical power, and strengthens the protective function of the amulet. The scarab originally would have been mounted or threaded.
<div class="fn value">
<p>Egyptian (?)<br></p>
Canaanite (?)</div>
between circa 1794 and circa 1539 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/en:Ante_Christum_Natum" class="extiw" title="w:en:Ante Christum Natum">BC</a> <div style="display: none;">date QS:P571,-1500-00-00T00:00:00Z/6,P1319,-1794-00-00T00:00:00Z/9,P1326,-1539-00-00T00:00:00Z/9,P1480,Q5727902</div> (late Middle Kingdom-Second Intermediate; MB IIB)
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/en:Walters_Art_Museum" class="extiw" title="w:en:Walters Art Museum"><span title="art museum in Baltimore, Maryland, United States">Walters Art Museum</span></a>: <a href="https://thewalters.org/" rel="nofollow"><img alt="Nuvola filesystems folder home.svg" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/81/Nuvola_filesystems_folder_home.svg/20px-Nuvola_filesystems_folder_home.svg.png" decoding="async" width="20" height="20" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/81/Nuvola_filesystems_folder_home.svg/30px-Nuvola_filesystems_folder_home.svg.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/81/Nuvola_filesystems_folder_home.svg/40px-Nuvola_filesystems_folder_home.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="128" data-file-height="128"></a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://thewalters.org/">Home page</a> <a href="https://art.thewalters.org/detail/16939" rel="nofollow"><img alt="Information icon.svg" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/35/Information_icon.svg/20px-Information_icon.svg.png" decoding="async" width="20" height="20" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/35/Information_icon.svg/30px-Information_icon.svg.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/35/Information_icon.svg/40px-Information_icon.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="620" data-file-height="620"></a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://art.thewalters.org/detail/16939">Info about artwork</a>