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Egyptian Heart Scarab
Date
May 2026
1. Artifact & Historical Provenance
Object Type: Egyptian Heart Scarab Amulet
Material / Stone: Fine-carved Greywacke
Period / Dating: Third Intermediate Period (ca. 1069–664 BCE)
Context: Originally placed over the chest of a mummy during funerary rites to guard the heart in the afterlife. Features an uninscribed base that exhibits evidence of potential erased text in antiquity for reuse.
2. Mountmaking Objectives & Challenges
Mechanical Protection: Preventing point-pressure stress or surface abrasion on an ancient carved stone surface.
Aesthetic Integration: Fabricating a support structure that visually complements the dark greywacke without drawing attention away from the finely carved dorsal details.
Reversibility & Stability: Creating a fully non-invasive, custom-fit cradle requiring zero adhesives or permanent alterations to the artifact.
3. Technical Fabrication & Methodology
Contour-Formed Brass Cradle: Hand-fabricated custom brass armature precisely shaped to hug the stone's organic geometry, offering complete perimeter stability.
Chemical Patination: Applied a specialized dark chemical patina treatment to the raw brass to match the deep, muted tones of the greywacke.
Custom Base Fabrication: Crafted a handmade ceramic base tailored specifically to the brass armature, providing a weighted, balanced foundation for museum or private collection presentation.
