Seti I

410, Lot: 990. Estimate $200. Sold for $520. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Steatite scarab. Egypt, New Kingdom, 19th Dynasty. Seti I (circa 1290-1279 BC). Scarab with fine details and piercing for suspension. On face, a crown of Lower Egypt and variation of the cartouche of Seti I, r’ mn mn ma’at (17x11mm). Intact.

Ex Christie’s London ‘Fine Antiquities’ (10 July 1991), lot 85 (part of).

This variation of the name of name of Seti is not listed in Petri and is possibly a scribal error.

Seti’s reign had a stabilizing effect on Egypt. Regardless of the exact length of the pharaoh’s reign, which has been much debated, Seti made large strides in reestablishing the religious traditions which were so disrupted by the reforms of Akhenaten. Equally important were the pharaoh’s many military achievements, most notably his successes in driving back Hittite forces and recapturing former Egyptian territories.

Seti’s tomb was first discovered in 1817 and his mummy itself in 1881.