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LOT 0057
Egyptian Blue Glazed Amulet of Bes
THIRD INTERMEDIATE PERIOD, CIRCA 1069-735 B.C.
1 5/8 in. (3.07 grams, 42 mm).
Modelled in the round, Bes standing nude with a lion's tail, wearing a feathered headdress.
ProvenanceOlivia Tiano, Paris, 1993.
Private collection, London, UK.
Cf. Andrews, C., Amulets of Ancient Egypt, British Museum, 1994, pp.39-40, fig.37.
FootnotesFrom the New Kingdom onwards, Bes became one of ancient Egypt's most popular apotropaic deities. Despite his somewhat fearsome appearance, Bes served as the patron and protector of pregnant women and children and was also believed to shield them from snakes.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 0057
Egyptian Blue Glazed Amulet of Bes
Estimate £1,000 - 1,400€1,160 - 1,620 (for guidance only)$1,350 - 1,890 (for guidance only)
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Very Large Egyptian Bronze Oxyrhynchus Fish of Per-Medjed with Hieroglyphic Inscription
Late Period-Ptolemaic Period, 664-30 B.C.Estimate: £4,000 - 6,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £2,000
Modelled in the round on a sledge attached by ventral and pectoral fins, a forked tail, a dorsal ridge, and a tapering nose, featuring recessed circular eyes filled with enamel, a horned sun disc headdress fronted by a uraeus, and a suspension loop behind; a few hieroglyphs of a dedication remain visible on the underside of the sledge, which may be interpreted as ‘….the great give life (to)…’ (…t wr rdi͗ Ꜥnḫ t….); presumably, 'the great' followed the name of a deity, now lost. 585 grams, 17 cm
Acquired from Gallery Reiner, Paris, France, 1981. Private collection, Europe. Accompanied by a copy of French passport no.150583 dated 29 November 2013. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12375-226676.
The Medjed, a type of elephant-snout fish (Mormyrus kannume), was revered in ancient Egyptian religion, particularly in Per-Medjed, better known by its Greek name, Oxyrhynchus Polis. This version of the name, meaning "city of the sharp-nosed," reflects the fish's distinctive appearance as depicted in Egyptian art. These fish were believed to have consumed the penis of Osiris, the god who was dismembered and scattered by his brother Seth. As sacred creatures, figurines of the Medjed were often adorned with a horned sun-disc headdress worn by the goddesses Hathor and Isis, suggesting a close association with both. Some figurines, like this example, featured suspension loops, allowing them to be worn as pendant amulets. -
Egyptian Faience Kneeling Priest Amulet
New Kingdom, 1550-1070 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £124
Modelled in the round figure of a priest kneeling on a base with hands on his thighs; loop behind the shoulders. 1.16 grams, 19 mm
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s. -
Egyptian Hardstone Necklace with Amulets
New Kingdom, 1550-1295 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £572
Spherical, bicone, and tubular stone beads with a vessel, and two cornflower amulets, restrung with a modern clasp fitting. 17.45 grams, 42 cm
Ex London, UK, collection, 1990s-2000s.
