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LOT 0475
Egyptian Blue Glazed Bastet Amulet
NEW KINGDOM, 18TH DYNASTY, CIRCA 1504-1452 B.C.
1 1/2 in. (2.01 grams, 17.59 mm).
Modelled resting on a rectangular base, with fur-texture detailing and hieroglyph to the underside. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom an old Suffolk, UK, collection.
Acquired in the UK before 1980.
From the personal collection of Derek Rogers, Suffolk, UK.
Cf. Andrews, C., Amulets of Ancient Egypt, London, 1994, item 29(c), for type.
FootnotesThe cat was sacred to Bastet, a protective mother goddess and the daughter of the sun god Re. Amulets provided the wearer with the goddess's protection.
Her name means ‘she of the bast [ointment jar],’ which may have contained a substance favoured by or exclusive to royalty. Originally, Bastet was depicted as a woman with the head of a lioness, but by the New Kingdom, she was typically depicted with a cat's head. She is sometimes shown with kittens, emphasising her maternal role as a fierce protector of offspring.
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Egyptian Multi-Stranded Mummy Bead Necklace
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £98
Multi-stranded designer necklace composed of beads of mainly annular and tubular types. 21 grams, 74 cm
Acquired before 1979. From the private collection of Mr F. A., South Kensington, London, UK; thence by descent 2014.
For thousands of years, artisans in Egypt created vibrant ceramics to echo the beauty of rare jewels. These ornaments were created with almost every material, colour, and texture imaginable and they come from across Egypt and beyond: vibrant blue lapis lazuli from Afghanistan, glossy black obsidian from Turkey, and aqua-green turquoise from the Sinai. They were worn in life and, after death, they served as precious ornamentation for mummies. -
Egyptian Silver Fly Amulet
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £124
Formed as a fly with long triangular wings and domed eyes. 0.84 grams, 16 mm
From an early 20th century collection.
Considering Egyptian artists often depicted fly whisks in the hands of pharaohs and high officials, one might assume that flies were simply a nuisance. However, the Egyptians held flies in high regard due to their quick speed, reactions, and persistence. Small fly amulets first appeared in burials during the Naqada II Period, c. 3200 B.C. These amulets grew in popularity, and the materials used to make them expanded during the New Kingdom. They are crafted from various materials such as gold, silver, lapis lazuli, carnelian, amethyst, faience, and bone. These amulets were thought to protect against insect bites and to ward off troublesome flying creatures through apotropaic magic. Some believe they may have even been intended to symbolise the fly’s fecundity. Additionally, pharaohs would bestow gold fly-shaped pendants as military awards to honour soldiers' bravery and fly-like persistence in battle. -
Egyptian Faience Scarab Collection
Mainly 15th-14th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,690
Including a white scarab with cartouche of Thutmose III; a white rectangle with two cartouches of Thutmose III, a white rectangle with hieroglyphs to one face for Amenhotep III and to the reverse those for Teje, one of his wives; and other items. 22.7 grams total, 12-28 mm
Acquired in the mid 1980s-1990s. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s.
