An Egyptian Steatite Scarab of a Royal hunting scene, New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty, ca. 1550 - 1295 BCE

The scarab is beautifully carved from steatite, the back with a single suture and pronotum lines, and finely incised border detail. The legs are naturalistically carved at the side and deeply incised. The base is inscribed with a royal hunting scene, where the king, clad in a striped loin-cloth and wearing a crown, is standing in a chariot drawn by a single horse. Armed with a bow and arrow, he hunts long-eared desert rabbit, an assisting huntsman to the right. Dimensions:  Length: 1.7 cm (0.66 inches) Condition:  Intact and in excellent condition overall.   Provenance:  Private Maryland collection of a diplomat, acquired while serving in Egypt between 1949 and 1956, and then by descent.