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LOT 0458
Egyptian Black Hardstone Scarab
LATE PERIOD, 664-332 B.C.
1 1/8 in. (17 grams, 29 mm).
Dark green hardstone with paler speckles; with a boldly carved head, clypeus, prothorax and elytra, and legs indicated at the sides; plain underside.
ProvenanceEx Irene Newman, Birdham, Chichester, West Sussex, England.
with Stride & Son Auctioneers, Chichester, West Sussex, England, 23 April 2015, no.1599 [Part].
Acquired by the present owner at the above sale.
Cf. Schulz, R., Seidel, M., Egyptian Art. The Walters Art Museum, Oakville, 2007, pl.18, cat. no. 126, for a similar example.
FootnotesThe scarab, which represented the dung beetle, was the most popular amulet in ancient Egypt for approximately two thousand years until the Ptolemaic Period when it gradually fell out of favour. The popularity of scarabs extended beyond the borders of Egypt, and they were also distributed and produced in other regions, such as Phoenicia and Israel. The beetle is named khepri, derived from the verb 'to come into existence', and was considered the embodiment of the creator god Khepri, who was self-engendered. The ancient Egyptians mistakenly believed that the young beetle emerging from the dung ball was the result of an act of self-creation.
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AUCTIONS:
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Egyptian Hardstone Headrest Amulet
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £111
Carved miniature headrest with rectangular base. 1.14 grams, 12 mm
Ex Constable collection, 1990s. Ex Ancient & Oriental, UK. Ex P. Morris collection. Accompanied by an old photograph and a previous catalogue cutting.
The headrest, or weres amulet, was placed under the mummy's head to protect it from damage, and so ensure their rebirth. Most are made of haematite, though other materials, such as faience, were sometimes used. The headrest’s role is specified in Chapter 166 of the Book of the Dead. By the Late Period, they were attached to or inserted into the mummy wrappings. -
Phoenician Bronze Scaraboid Seal Matrix
Late 1st millennium B.C.Estimate: £260 - 360 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £140
Ellipsoid in plan with domed upper face, lateral lobes and ribbed suspension bar; avian image; supplied with a museum-quality impression. 8.26 grams, 20 mm
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s. -
Egyptian Blue Faience Amulet Representing Taweret
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £546
Modelled standing on a rectangular base in characteristic hippopotamus-headed form with a dorsal pillar, pierced for suspension at the rear of the tall two-feather headdress. 5.18 grams, 52 mm
Private collection, Carouge, Switzerland, assembled in the 1980s-1990s. Thence by descent to the collection of Mr S.P., since 2020.
