Bidspirit auction | The Groppi Scarab.

The Groppi Scarab. - The Groppi Scarab. New Kingdom, 18th dynasty. Glazed terracotta, L 10.5cm H 3.8cm. The large scarab has sixteen lines of inscription on the bottom, which record the hunt of 170 wild bulls in the desert in the area of Sehetep. The hunt was led by Pharao Amenhotep III., (1390 - 1351BC) and is apparently regarded as one of the main events in the reign of that Pharao. There are about 200 known commemorative scarabs of Amenhotep III., four of them describing the wild bull hunt. The others are about the weddings with Teje and Giluchepa, a lion hunt and the construction of a lake for Teje. The piece was reportely found in Tanis and was in the collection of the famous Cairo coffee house owner Achille Groppi since 1940. Sold at Christie´s London Auction 26.4.2012 Lot 27 for 27.500,- BP.