Pewabic Pottery can date the Scarab design back to 1928, though there is a chance it may have appeared earlier. The scarab is a symbol of birth and transformation. Ancient Egyptians associated the scarab beetle with Khepri, the God of the Rising Sun. It was believed that Khepri renewed the sun every day before rolling it above the horizon, then carried it through the other world after sunset, only to renew it again the next day.

The Scarab Club, a gathering place and studio location for artists in Detroit, opened its doors in October of 1928. The exterior mosaic tiles were designed and fired at Pewabic Pottery, though not completed until the 1980s when they were finished by WPA muralist and member Edgar Yeager, who was a junior member of the club in 1928. The building showcases exquisite sculptures from Pewabic Pottery, including the Scarab Club logo embedded over teh front entrance.