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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.
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AUCTIONS:
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Egyptian Faience Phallic Amuletic Pendant
Ptolemaic Period, 332-30 B.C.Estimate: £100 - 140 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £50
Formed as stylised phallus with large testes and part of the lower abdomen, suspension loop above. 1.54 grams, 18 mm
From the collection of a late London, UK, gentleman, 1970s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Small phallic amulets in ancient Egypt symbolised fertility, protection, and vitality. Often worn as jewellery or carried as personal charms, these amulets invoked the generative power of the male form, which was closely tied to life, creation, and strength. They were commonly used to ward off evil, ensure male potency, and protect children or the wearer from harm. These amulets reflect the Egyptian belief in the protective and regenerative power of sexuality, and their use spanned both everyday life and funerary contexts. -
Large Egyptian Faience Heart Scarab
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £169
Green-glazed with anatomical detailing, pierced through the outer edge. 48 grams, 73 mm
From an early 20th century collection London and Home counties, UK. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
The heart scarab served to protect the individual by silencing the heart so it would not testify against its owner. Many heart scarabs, especially those intended for elite burials, were mounted with outstretched wings—symbols of divine protection and rebirth. These wings echoed the iconography of protective deities like Isis and Nephthys, enhancing the amulet’s power to safeguard the soul on its journey to eternal life. The pierced holes on the side of this example were likely for the attachment of such wings. -
Phoenician Green Stone Scarab with Three-Headed Gryllos
6th-4th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,730
With carapace detailing to the convex face; underside with gryllos of a bearded male, a slender female and a boar. 6.94 grams, 28 mm
Ex collection of the late Mr S. M., London, UK, 1970-1990s. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12635-234910. 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.
Grylli motifs usually combine various human and animal heads, sometimes including animal legs.
