Victorian Scarab Beetle Chain Cufflinks in 18ct Yellow Gold

A pair of expertly modelled 18ct yellow gold chain link scarab beetle (beetle mania) cufflinks from the Victorian period. Perfectly combining the Victorian obsession with both the natural world and Egyptomania the scarab beetle featured widely in jewellery designs. An ancient insect the scarab beetle was revered by the ancient Egyptians who saw the distinctive rolling action of balls of manure as mimicking the sun moving across the sky. Demonstrating a fashionable link to both the ancient past and the wider natural world jewellery made from actual iridescent green beetle shell cases was also popular during this time.