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LOT 0468
Egyptian Alabaster Cosmetic Jar
LATE PERIOD, 664-332 B.C.
3 3/8 in. (77 grams, 87 mm).
Tapering gradually towards the top, with two small lugs at the shoulders, a collared rim, and flattened base.
ProvenancePrivate collection, Zurich, acquired in 1975 when the owners lived in Cairo (1975-1980).
with Bonhams London, Antiquities, 23 July 2020, lot 119 (part).
Property of a Bristol, UK, gentleman.
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AUCTIONS:
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Egyptian Faience Frog Scarab
Ptolemaic Period, circa 300 B.C.Estimate: £400 - 600 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £200
Discoid base with crouching frog pierced longitudinally for threading; underside with a solar disc and unidentified symbol. 0.56 grams, 13 mm
Ex R. Liechti (1934-2010) Geneva, Switzerland, formed between 1950-1990s. Accompanied by a copy of an old collection inventory note. -
Large Egyptian Blue Glazed Hieroglyphic Shabti
26th Dynasty, 664-525 B.C.Estimate: £1,500 - 2,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £700
Of mummiform type, wearing a tripartite wig and long plaited divine beard, with arms crossed and the left hand holding a pick, the right hand holding a hoe and the cord of a seed bag hanging over his left shoulder; with carefully rendered cosmetic lines around the eyes, narrow eyebrows, and slightly smiling lips giving it a serene expression characteristic of the finest ushabtis of the period; standing on an integral plinth from which a plain back pillar terminating at the base of the wig extends; nine horizontal rows of hieroglyphic inscription, the Sixth Chapter of the Book of the Dead; water worn. 246 grams, 19 cm
Acquired on the German art market, 1989-1995. with The Museum Gallery, 19 Bury Place, London, WC1, UK, 1998-2003. Property of a London based academic, 2003-present.
Shabti figures could serve as a representation of the deceased and paradoxically also as their servant to carry out arduous manual tasks in the afterlife on behalf of their master. Late Period shabtis were most frequently made of faience, such as this example. The body of a shabti was usually in the form of a mummy from the neck down, depicted with agricultural tools in their hands, such as picks, hoes, and baskets. Chapter 6 from the Book of the Dead, lists the tasks expected of the magical figure. By the Late Period, hundreds of shabtis were often provided for the burial. -
Egyptian Multi-Stranded Faience Mummy Bead Necklace
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £234
Multi-stranded designer necklace composed of beads of mainly annular and tubular types. 21 grams, 72 cm long
Acquired before 1979. From the private collection of Mr F.A., South Kensington, London, UK; thence by descent 2014.
For thousands of years, artisans in Egypt created vibrant ceramics to echo the beauty of rare jewels. These ornaments were created with almost every material, colour, and texture imaginable and they come from across Egypt and beyond: vibrant blue lapis lazuli from Afghanistan, glossy black obsidian from Turkey, and aqua-green turquoise from the Sinai. They were worn in life and, after death, they served as precious ornamentation for mummies.