Egyptian Faience Scarab Value Guide

This Egyptian Faience Scarab dates to the New Kingdom era (1550-1070 BCE) and serves as a profound symbol of rebirth and the sun god Khepri. These amulets are highly collectible due to their dual function as both protective jewelry and functional stamp seals used in ancient administration.

What Is Egyptian Faience Scarab Worth?

The typical price range for Egyptian Faience Scarab is $150 - $250 based on recent sales. However, values can vary depending on the item's condition, rarity, and other factors such as:

• The presence of a legible royal cartouche or a rare pharaonic name significantly increases market value.
• Condition of the glaze, as vibrant blue pigment is more desirable than faded or weathered surfaces.
• Intricacy of the carving on both the beetle's back and the seal on the flat underside.
• Provenance and documentation verifying its origin from the 1550-1070 BCE period.

How to Identify Egyptian Faience Scarab?

• Examine the underside for hieroglyphic inscriptions, which often feature pharaoh names, deities, or specific blessings.
• Look for the characteristic bright blue or turquoise glaze typical of ancient Egyptian faience techniques.
• Verify the beetle anatomy, specifically the clypeus and wing cases (elytra), which should be carved in the distinct form of a dung beetle.
• Check for a longitudinal piercing through the center, which allowed the scarab to be worn as a ring or necklace.

History of Egyptian Faience Scarab

Scarabs were immensely popular amulets and impression seals in ancient Egypt. They were carved in the form of the dung beetle, which was seen as a symbol of rebirth and regeneration due to its habit of rolling balls of dung across the ground, which the Egyptians associated with the sun god Khepri rolling the sun across the sky. Scarabs were often inscribed on their flat undersides with names of pharaohs, deities, or short blessings, and were worn as jewelry or buried with the dead.