Collection of Egyptian Faience and Steatite Scarabs with Gold Mounts

Colourful, almost rectangular section of a wall fragment, with a slightly dished face, low-relief moulding with pigment, and 'Belzonis T[om]b' written at the top; accompanied by an old collector's label suggesting the likely findspot and other details. 15.3 grams, 44 mm



With a late 19th-early 20th century handwritten ticket attached. From the private collection of Peter Clayton, FCILIP, Dip, Arch, FSA, FRNS, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, UK; formed since the late 1950s.

The Italian explorer and antiquarian Giovanni Battista Belzoni uncovered the tomb of Seti I (KV 17) on October 16, 1817. This monumental tomb, with beautifully decorated walls, extended almost 140 metres underground through a series of descending corridors and chambers. In 1821, Belzoni opened a groundbreaking exhibition at the Egyptian Hall in Piccadilly, London, presenting a full-scale replica of the tomb. The paid public exhibition sparked massive 19th-century "Egyptomania" and introduced European audiences to ancient Egyptian art. Such was the renown of his discovery that it was often referred to as 'Belzoni's Tomb'.

Mummiform figure wearing a plain tripartite wig with horizontal line detailing at the lappet ends, a braided false beard, a finely modelled face, arms crossed with the left hand holding a pick and the right a hoe, and a tightly twisted cord of a long rectangular seed bag, which hangs over the left shoulder; seven horizontal bands of hieroglyphs on the body, with an eighth on the foot, and more entirely filling the dorsal pillar, giving Chapter 6 of the Book of the Dead; with a display stand bearing the legend 'Ushabti of Wedjahor XXVI Dyn'. 63.9 grams, 10.9 cm (81.2 grams total, 12.6 cm including stand)



Acquired at Michael's, Crawford Street, 6th January 1960, £3:5:0 for two. From the private collection of Peter Clayton, FCILIP, Dip, Arch, FSA, FRNS, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, UK; formed since the late 1950s. Accompanied by an old handwritten information card by Peter Clayton, collection no.69A.

Upper half of the front of a coffin, carved in high relief, with a deep hollow on the reverse; the face and tripartite wig are carefully executed, with fine facial modelling; thin raised-relief eyebrows, large almond-shaped eyes framed above by cosmetic lines, a widely splayed nose, a broad, narrow-lipped mouth, a broad chin above a fleshy neck, and forward-facing, internally detailed ears; an attachment point on the chest for a separate collar or other adornment; the back features two mortises (one with a partial tenon still in place). 5.15 kg, 57.7 cm high



with Archaeologia, Switzerland, before 1983. Ex private North American collection. London private collection, 2016. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.13516-260648.