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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.
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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Romano-Egyptian Terracotta Frog Lamp
Circa 2nd-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £59
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Egyptian Faience Ushabti
2nd millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,106
Mummiform figure with black-pigment facial detailing, sidelock, tripartite wig, dorsal seed-net, tiered collar, and vertical panel of hieroglyphic text. 134 grams, 15 cm
Acquired in the mid 1980s. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12848-241648.
A shabti (also known as ushabti or shawabti) is a small funerary figurine found in ancient Egyptian tombs, from around 2000 BCE to 30 BCE. Its main purpose was to act as a servant for the deceased in the afterlife, carrying out manual tasks like farming or irrigation as directed by the gods. Shabtis were frequently inscribed with a magical formula from the Book of the Dead to ensure they would animate when summoned.
