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_900x900.jpg "'Egyptian Blue' Counter Weight Menat Amulet")
_200x200.jpg "'Egyptian Blue' Counter Weight Menat Amulet")
.jpg "'Egyptian Blue' Counter Weight Menat Amulet")
LOT 0047
'Egyptian Blue' Counter Weight Menat Amulet
LATE PERIOD, 664-525 B.C.
2 5/8 in. (14 grams, 67 mm).
Amuletic pendant with broad bale, keyhole-shaped plaque with gusset to the rim.
ProvenanceAcquired on the German art market, 1989-1995.
with The Museum Gallery, 19 Bury Place, London, WC1A 2JB, 1998-2003.
Property of a London based academic, 2003-present.
Cf. Reisner, G.A., Catalogue général des antiquités égyptiennes du Musée du Caire, Nos.12528-13595, Vol. II, Amulets, Cairo, 1958, pl. V, nos. 12701 and 12694, for type.
FootnotesThe menat necklace was a sacred item of great importance to female Egyptian goddesses, particularly Hathor. Priestesses of Hathor and other powerful goddesses used the necklace as a rattle, holding it in their hand by the counterpoise and evoking protection from the sound of the shaken beads. The amuletic menat counterweight symbolised the whole elaborate necklace. The menat was considered a powerful magical amulet throughout Egyptian history, offering good luck and protection against evil spirits. It was often buried with the dead for protection in the afterlife and was believed to promote fertility and good health for women while signifying virility for men.
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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LOT 0047
'Egyptian Blue' Counter Weight Menat Amulet
Estimate £800 - 1,000€930 - 1,160 (for guidance only)$1,080 - 1,350 (for guidance only)
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Egyptian Carnelian Fly Amulet
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £312
Carved with simple body and eye detailing and polished; drilled through the eyes for suspension. 0.44 grams, 13 mm
From an early 20th century collection, Surrey, UK.
Considering Egyptian artists often depicted fly whisks in the hands of pharaohs and high officials, one might assume that flies were simply a nuisance. However, the Egyptians held flies in high regard due to their quick speed, reactions, and persistence. Small fly amulets were made from various materials, including gold, silver, lapis lazuli, carnelian, amethyst, faience, and bone. These amulets were believed to protect against insect bites and ward off flying creatures through apotropaic magic. -
Egyptian Blue Faience Pataikos Amulet Pair
Late Period, 664-525 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £312
Each in pale blue composition, the larger a bust with bale to rear of the neck, the smaller the full nude form (minus the lower legs). 22 grams total, 40-43 mm
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.
Pataikos is a representation of the creator deity Ptah, and his diminutive form is a symbol of his immense magical power. -
Egyptian 'Maspero' Green Faience Amulet
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £312
Mask of Bes in low-relief with lentoid eyes and tongue extended. 2.09 grams, 28 mm
Ex Emile Bouillon Bey, c. 1880. From the Gaston Maspero Archaeological Fund. with Hotel des Ventes du Perigord, Bergerac, 24 June 2007. Property of a French collector.
Bes became one of ancient Egypt's most popular apotropaic deities from the New Kingdom onwards. Despite his somewhat fearful appearance, Bes was the patron and protector of pregnant women and children. He was also believed to protect from snakes.
