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Victorian Egyptian Revival Scarab Brooch

$1,250

For ages, scarab beetles have been employed as symbols of rebirth and resurrection. In ancient Egypt, it became popular practice to place a scarab over the heart of a mummified person. Known as "heart scarabs", these artifacts were meant to be weighed against the feather of truth during the soul's final judgement. Egyptians regarded the heart as the center of emotion, intelligence, and memory, and keeping it in the body of the deceased was of utmost importance. Thus, the beetle served as an emblem for the vital organ, echoing the heart's significance in the afterlife of the deceased. This late Victorian brooch features a carved steatite cross with a scarab at the center mounted in a gold beetle-shaped frame.

thedetails

  • Materials

    14k gold (tests), carved steatite

  • Age

    c. 1880

  • Condition

    Very good

  • Size

    1 1/4" 7/8"

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Victorian

Aboutthe

VictorianEra

18371901

please note:Terms of Sale

Antiques can be returned unworn and in original condition within 10 days of delivery for an exchange or refund minus the cost of shipping. Once a piece has been altered, including ring re-sizing, it is FINAL SALE.

RelatedHistory Lesson

Egyptian Revival:An Obsession with the Ancient World

Discoveries in Ancient Egypt captivated the West’s imagination and inspired a wild period of exciting design.