Images(2)

Lion

DateAncient

CulturePhoenician

MediumCarnelian

ClassificationGems

ProvenanceEmile Gavet, Paris (cat. #1007), approximately 1870s-1880s; sold to Mr. and Mrs. William K. and Alva Erskine Smith Vanderbilt, Gothic Room, Marble House, Newport, Rhode Island, 1889-1982; transfered to Mrs. Alva Erskine Smith Vanderbilt Belmont in divorce; purchased by John Ringling, 1928; bequest to The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, 1936

Credit LineBequest of John Ringling, 1936

Object numberSN1435.155

Scarabs are amulets that take the form of a beetle that symbolizes regeneration in Egypt. They were worn to protect the owner, deriving power from their color, shape, and carved decoration. Scarabs were also used as seals in administration when they were impressed in clay as a form of signature.

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Dimensions11/16 x 1/2 x 3/8 in. (1.7 x 1.2 x 0.9 cm)