Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 0027
Egyptian Blue Amulet of Bes
THIRD INTERMEDIATE PERIOD, CIRCA 1069-735 B.C.
1 3/4 in. (4.13 grams, 44 mm).
Modelled in the round, Bes standing nude with a lion's tail, wearing a feathered headdress.
Provenance
Archéologie; François de Ricqlès, Paris, 30 September-1 October 1996, no.322 (part).
Private collection, London, UK, acquired from the above sale.
Accompanied by a copy of a French cultural passport, dated 30 September 1996.
Accompanied by a copy of the François de Ricqlès invoice.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12630-235074.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Literature
Cf. Andrews, C., Amulets of Ancient Egypt, British Museum, 1994, pp.39-40, fig.37.
Footnotes
From the New Kingdom onwards, Bes became one of ancient Egypt's most popular apotropaic deities. Despite his somewhat fearsome appearance, Bes served as the patron and protector of pregnant women and children, and was also believed to shield them from snakes.
CONDITIONVETTING:
TimeLine 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:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
RELATED LOTS
-
Egyptian Glass Panel with Eyes
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Estimate: £250 - 350 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £125
Irregular glass panel fragment with mosaic eye motifs inlaid; repaired. 1.57 grams, 18 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. -
Egyptian Red-Glass Disc Collection
Ptolemaic Period, 332-30 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £39
All four gently domed on one side and flat backed; three are of similar diameter, with one larger. 45.3 grams total, 25-41 mm
Acquired on the UK art market, 1977-1979. Private collection, London. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Egyptian Limestone Bas-Relief Panel of Ptah Presiding Over the Smelting of Metals
Old Kingdom, 5th Dynasty, 2498-2345 B.C.Estimate: £80,000 - 100,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £40,000
This expertly carved high-relief scene depicts three male figures with short hairstyles, each wearing a short kilt tied at the waist; the left and central figures carry a small furnace by curved handles, preparing to smelt copper; the central figure also holds a metal poker in his free hand; the figure on the left supports a large container at chest level with one hand; finely rendered hieroglyphic inscriptions in front of each figure record a dialogue among the three metalworkers; the leftmost figure, facing the others, declares “Ptah could not have done better”; the central figure responds with three lines of text “Ptah loves him to pour (into) the brazier of the flame”; the inscription before the rightmost figure reads “copper of the baskets”; together, the second and third texts may be interpreted as “Ptah would love him to pour copper from the baskets into the furnace”; the composition likely formed part of a larger scene illustrating metalworking activities; supplied with a custom-made stand. 21.35 kg total, 53.5 cm wide including stand
with Toufic Arakji, Hamburg, by circa 1980. Private collection, acquired from the above, circa 1980-1994. with Sotheby’s, New York, Antiquities and Islamic Art, 8 June 1994, no.23. Private collection, 1994-2010, acquired at the above sale. with David Aaron, London, UK, 2010-2011. with Daniel Katz Gallery, London, UK. UK private collection. Accompanied by an academic report by Egyptologist Sylvie Caroff. Accompanied by a copy of an Art Loss Register certificate no.S00142449. 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.
The mention of Ptah – patron god of craftsmen – links this piece to Memphis, suggesting it came from the tomb of a high-ranking official or priest.
