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LOT 0025
Egyptian Blue Amulet of Amun
LATE PERIOD, 26TH DYNASTY, CIRCA 664-525 B.C.
2 3/4 in. (15.75 grams total, 71 mm including stand).
The god modelled seated on a throne with a dorsal pillar, hands resting on his knees, wearing a short kilt and a two-plume feather crown; mounted on a wooden stand.
Provenancewith Charles Ede Ltd, London, UK.
Private collection, London, UK, acquired from the above on 12 July 1994.
Accompanied by a copy of the Charles Ede invoice.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12632-235078.
This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Cf. Petrie, W.M.F., Amulets. Illustrated by the Egyptian Collection in University College, London, 1914, pl. XXX, no. 162a and 162d, for amulets of the god.
FootnotesThe amulet of the god Amun served both religious and protective purposes in ancient Egypt. Amun was a major deity associated with creation, kingship, and hidden power. Wearing an amulet bearing his image or name was believed to invoke his divine protection, grant strength, and confer favour or legitimacy. Such amulets were also placed among burial goods to ensure the deceased was protected and guided in the afterlife.
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AUCTIONS:
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Egyptian Limestone Relief
Late-Ptolemaic Period, 664-30 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £910
Relief fragment comprising: a sun disc with high-relief scarab motif to the centre; below this, a head in profile wearing a tiered wig with uraeus to the brow; mounted on a custom-made stand. 1.61 kg total, 22.2 cm including stand
Collection of Mr C., Geneva, Switzerland (1936-2016), assembled between 1985 and 2010. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Egyptian Faience Amulet Representing Thoth
664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £143
Comprising a rectangular base and dorsal pillar pierced behind the shoulders, the god with ibis head, tripartite wig, knee-length kilt. 2.33 grams, 37 mm
Private collection, Carouge, Switzerland, assembled in the 1980s-1990s. Thence by descent to the collection of Mr S.P., since 2020. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Egyptian Silver Fly Amulet
Late-Ptolemaic Period, 664-30 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £130
With detailing to wings and eyes, loop for suspension above the head. 1.05 grams, 17 mm
Ex London, UK, gentleman 1980-1990s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Considering that Egyptian artists often depicted fly whisks in the hands of pharaohs and high officials, one might assume that flies were merely a nuisance. However, the Egyptians held flies in high regard for their speed, quick reactions, and persistence. Small fly amulets first appeared in burials during the Naqada II Period, around 3200 B.C. These amulets gained popularity, and the materials used to make them varied during the New Kingdom. They were crafted from various materials such as gold, silver, lapis lazuli, carnelian, amethyst, faience, and bone. These amulets were believed to protect against insect bites and to ward off troublesome flying creatures through apotropaic magic. Some believe they may have even symbolised the fly’s fecundity. Additionally, pharaohs would bestow gold fly-shaped pendants as military awards to honour the bravery and persistence of soldiers in battle.
