Egyptian Art
One of the oldest symbols of Egyptian art, the sacred scarab, made small enough to hold: a beetle with mirror-bright wing cases finished by hand in 24-karat gold and a finely worked, silver-toned head.
Khepri and the rising sun
In ancient Egypt the scarab beetle was sacred. People watched it roll its ball of dung across the ground and saw in it the sun, pushed across the sky and born again each morning. The beetle became Khepri, the god of the rising sun, and the scarab became a sign of renewal and rebirth that the Egyptians carried with them through life and beyond it.
That is why the scarab appears everywhere in Egyptian sculpture and craft. Its meaning is quiet rather than grand: a small, daily promise that the light returns. Few motifs from the ancient world are as compact, or as easy to live with, which is what makes it such a natural subject for a desk or a shelf.
A beetle seen from above
The Gold Egyptian Scarab Sculpture is an oval beetle seen from above. Its two wing cases are smooth, rounded and polished to a mirror, each edged with a fine twisted gold cord. The head and thorax are silver-toned and finely cross-hatched, so the light breaks into small points there while it slides in one long reflection across the back.
The legs lie folded close along the body over a flat oval base with incised detail. That contrast, the bright gold back against the detailed silver head, is the whole character of the piece. Compact and jewel-like, this gold scarab is meant to be picked up and turned in the hand, then set back on a desk or a bookshelf.
Amulets, seals and a gift with a meaning
Scarab-shaped amulets and seals were among the most common objects of Egyptian life, worn, carried and pressed into clay, and large heart scarabs were placed with the dead. Few ancient Egypt gifts carry a meaning as clear: renewal, a new beginning, the sun coming back.
The scarab sits comfortably beside other cultures in our World cultural art collection, from Aztec art to Chinese and Hindu art, and next to the warmer tones of our Gold statues. Like every D'Argenta piece, it is designed and finished by hand in our Mexico City workshop, as the house has done since 1976.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Egyptian scarab symbolize?
The scarab was linked to Khepri, the god of the rising sun. Because the beetle rolls its ball as the sun was thought to be rolled across the sky, it came to stand for renewal and rebirth, which makes it a meaningful gift for a new beginning.
Is this an ancient Egyptian artifact?
No. It is a contemporary scarab sculpture inspired by Egyptian amulets, designed and finished by hand in Mexico City. An art advisor can show it to you on a video call before you decide, and we ship throughout Mexico.
How do I care for the gold scarab?
The finish is protected by a resistant lacquer, so a soft, dry cloth is all it needs; metal polish and cleaning agents are best avoided. The piece carries our lifetime guarantee covering manufacturing defects.