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LOT 0036
Egyptian Blue Faience Offering Cup with Inscription
LATE PERIOD-PTOLEMAIC PERIOD, 664-30 B.C.
2 1/2 in. (57 grams, 62 mm).
Conical in profile with a wide base and a shallow interior hollow; inscription in a darker blue glaze, consisting of a single line of demotic-script text.
ProvenanceMariaud de Serres, Drouot, Paris, 1999.
with Christie’s, New York, 5-6 December 2001, no.354.
Accompanied by copies of the relevant Christie's catalogue pages.
Demotic script was an ancient Egyptian writing system that was used from approximately the 7th century B.C. to the 4th century A.D. It represented a more simplified and cursive form of writing compared to hieroglyphs and hieratic script. Demotic text was employed for a wide range of purposes in ancient Egypt, including administrative, legal, religious, and literary documents. Deciphering Demotic has played a pivotal role in enhancing our understanding of ancient Egyptian culture, history, and everyday life.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 0036
Egyptian Blue Faience Offering Cup with Inscription
Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,170
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Egyptian Steatite Fish Amulet with Horse
New Kingdom, 1550-1070 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £130
A bifacial rectangular amulet with incised fish in profile to the obverse, a standing horse to the reverse; drilled for suspension. 3.04 grams, 20 mm
Ex Constable collection, 1990s. Ex P. Morris collection. Accompanied by an old photograph dated 'London 1997'.
This amulet depicts a ‘Tilapia nilotica’ or ‘bolti’, a prevalent fish species found in the Nile. Not only was it esteemed for its delicious taste, but it was also regarded as a symbol of rebirth and resurrection due to its unique ability to carry its eggs in its mouth, symbolising self-creation. -
Egyptian Blue and Ochre Faience Shabti
Late Period, 4th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £72
Plano-convex in section with mould-formed facial detailing, crossed arms and agricultural tools. 12.9 grams, 67 mm
Ex private collection, London, UK, 1970s-1990s. -
Coptic Marble Liturgical Vessel Fragment with Inscription
6th century A.D.Estimate: £1,500 - 2,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £833
Tongue-shaped with low rounded pad on the underside, raised edge with low-relief decoration of grape vines and leaves, the edge with pairs of opposing doves eating grapes; dedicatory Demotic inscription on the underside. 87 grams, 55 mm
Acquired in the mid 1980s-1990s. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D'Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12575-232108.
These vessels were used as liturgical objects for church offerings or ritual, and were extensively employed from late antiquity in ecclesiastical contexts.
