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LOT 0037
Egyptian Blue Faience Scarab
LATE PERIOD, 7TH-6TH CENTURY B.C.
4 in. (4 in.) (22.3 grams, 10 cm wide (44 grams total, 10 cm wide including stand)).
Comprising a crescentic plaque with central scarab modelled in the half-round, and lateral wings with hatched texturing; scarab with ribbing and other detailing; pierced in four places for attachment; accompanied by a custom-made stand.
ProvenanceAcquired in the 1950-1990s.
Mr C., Geneva, Switzerland.
Private collection, Europe.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12592-232170.
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. Berlev, O. and Hodjash, S., Catalogue of Monuments of Ancient Egypt: From the Museums of the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Bielorussia, Caucasus, Middle Asia and the Baltic States, Orbis Biblicus et Orientalis 17, Fribourg/Göttingen, 1998, pl. 173, no. XIV.60, for a similar (though less fine) one-piece example.
FootnotesWinged scarabs were thought to ensure the rebirth and regeneration of the deceased, making them popular funerary amulets. This is a particularly fine example of a rarer one-piece amulet, as they are usually made from three separate elements.
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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Egyptian Green Glazed Faience Figure of Somtous
Late Period, circa 664-332 B.C.Estimate: £1,000 - 1,400 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £500
Modelled in the round, the nude seated figure of the child Somtous, with one hand to his lips and a prominent sidelock, emerging from a lotus flower; mounted on a custom-made stand. 39.7 grams total, 68 mm including stand
with Noriuchi Horiuchi, Tokyo, Japan. Private collection, London, UK, acquired from the above in 1993. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
The earliest attestations of the cult of Somtous, known as Sematawy in ancient Egyptian, date back to the New Kingdom, although it became particularly popular during the Late Period. Associated with Horus (Horsomtous), the symbol of the child emerging from the lotus represented the (re)birth of the sun god. Thus, Somtous was regarded as a life-giving amuletic symbol, sometimes even referred to as 'Sematawy the child who gives life.' -
Egyptian Limestone Floral Inlay Group
Roman Period, 30 B.C.-323 A.D. or earlierSold for (Inc. bp): £59
Group of discoid inlay plaques or gaming counters, crinoids with cinquefoil motif; some fragmentary. 49 grams total, 6-17 mm
From a central London ADA dealership, 1980-1990. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Flowers were symbolic of rebirth due to the daily reopening of their petals after nightfall. As a result, they were widely used in domestic settings, religious and funerary contexts, and as adornments. Similar rosette discs, like those recovered from the Ramesside Period palace at Qantir, were used as decorative elements in royal palaces. -
Phoenicio-Egyptian Dark Green Stone Scarab
Circa 9th-8th century B.C.Estimate: £200 - 280 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £111
With textured carapace, bull-horned column to the reverse, possibly a symbol of Tanit. 3.94 grams, 15 mm
From the property of the late Mr SM, London, UK, 1969-1999. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
The widespread adoption of the scarab, both as a symbol linked to the concept of rebirth, and in its function as a seal, exemplifies the extent of Egyptian influence on Phoenician culture, from its origins in the Levant to its spread across the Mediterranean.
