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LOT 0500
Egyptian Alabaster Cosmetic Jar
NEW KINGDOM, 13TH-11TH CENTURY B.C.
2 1/8 in. (129 grams, 56 mm).
Squat, globular vessel with a flat bottom and thick, carinated rim. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom the private collection of a Canadian gentleman living in Essex, UK, formed since the 1920s-circa 1990.
Property of an Essex lady until the late 1990s; thence by descent.
From the private collection of an Essex gentleman since the late 1990s.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Cf. Vandier d’Abbadie, J., Les objets de toilette égyptiens au Musée du Louvre, Paris, 1972, pp. 132-133, nos. 575 and 576, for similar forms dated to the 19th Dynasty.
FootnotesSuch vessels were used to hold cosmetics. The low shape and wide base prevented tipping when extracting the cosmetic with an applicator.
CONDITIONTimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
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Phoenician Glass Bead Collection
6th-3rd century B.C. or laterEstimate: £1,000 - 1,400 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £500
Comprising a group of crumb-decorated polychrome oblate beads and a centrepiece pendant formed as a stylised bearded head. 179 grams total, 12-42 mm
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
The Phoenicians, renowned seafarers and traders, were also skilled glassworkers. They produced a wide variety of glass beads using core-forming and winding techniques, with vivid colours and elaborate designs that reflect both technical mastery and cross-cultural influence. Among the most iconic Phoenician beads are glass 'head' beads, crafted in the form of stylised human or mythological faces. Typically, they feature exaggerated facial details like bulging eyes, large noses, beards, and headdresses, often with expressive or comic features. They were possibly worn as amulets to ward off evil or attract protection, though they may also represent deities, ancestors, or foreigners. These beads often incorporate Egyptian, Greek, and Near Eastern stylistic elements, reflecting the Phoenicians’ extensive trade networks. -
Egyptian Faience Necklace with Pendant
New Kingdom, 1400-1100 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £780
Designer necklace composed of alternating white and turquoise tubular beads with oval spacer bead; a collar terminal as a central pendant with two rows of petal-shaped beads incorporating tubular and ring spacers suspended below. 41 grams, 76 cm long
Acquired in the mid 1980s-1990s. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Egyptian Steatite Scarab Group
Mainly Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £442
Designs include: a line border enclosing a kneeling figure holding a staff, flanked by coiled cobras; a line border enclosing user, m, Re, and ankh signs; a line border enclosing a standing figure before a rearing cobra, with both figures surmounting a neb sign; a line border enclosing numerous hieroglyphs: a nefer sign flanked by sun discs, men, m, meru, neb signs with a falcon in front; a line border enclosing a central cartouche-shaped panel with neb, a, and ro signs, flanked by nefer and wadj signs. 10.6 grams total, 13-20 mm
Acquired on the European art market in the early 2000s. with Galerie Rhéa, Zurich, Switzerland. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
