Steatite Scarab Thutmose III - His Cartouche, Men Kheper Ra 1550-1400 BC

Description

STEATITE SCARAB FEATURING THUTMOSE III AND THOTH - EGYPT - Late Bronze I Period (1550 - 1400 B.C.E.). Depicts his cartouche, Men - Kheper - Ra. Deeply incised glyphs with traces of brown-green glaze. length: 17.61 mm. Width: 13.28 mm. Nice scarab; some chips on front base edge (see photos).
Provenance: Ex - T. Dabbah Collection. Antiquity dealer in the Middle East in the late 50's.
Reference: Scarabs and Design Amulets, A Glimpse of Ancient Egypt in Miniature. nfa Classical Auctions Inc. December 11, 1991. New York, New York.
Thoth has been depicted in many ways depending on the era and on the aspect the artist wished to convey. He appears as a dog-faced baboon or a man with the head of a baboon when he is A'an, the god of equilibrium. Thoth's roles in Egyptian mythology were many. He served as a mediating power, especially between good and evil, making sure neither had a decisive victory over the other. He also served as scribe of the gods, credited with the invention of writing and alphabets (i.e. hieroglyphs) themselves.
In the underworld, Duat, he appeared as an ape, A'an, the god of equilibrium, who reported when the scales weighing the deceased's heart against the feather, representing the principle of Ma'at, was exactly even.