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LOT 0015
Egyptian Blue-Glazed Faience Blue Lotus Chalice
NEW KINGDOM-THIRD INTERMEDIATE PERIOD, CIRCA 1504-935 B.C.
6 1/4 in. (126 grams, 16 cm).
With a tall, flaring cup rounded at the base, attached to a short stem supported on a flared foot; the outside of the cup decorated with petals modelled in relief and a ribbed rim; the stem and foot plain; some restoration.
ProvenanceAcquired 1970s-1996.
Property of a North American collector.
London collection, 2016.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.12099-214088.
Cf. Eggebrecht, A., Ägyptens Aufstieg zur Weltmacht, Mainz, 1987, 326, no. 279, for a similar chalice.
FootnotesFaience chalices shaped like the flowers of the blue lotus (Nymphaea caerulea) first appeared in the 18th Dynasty. The blue lotus chalices were believed to have been used for cultic or votive purposes in temples or in rituals offered to the dead. Known as 'Seshen' by the ancient Egyptians, the blue lotus was a symbol of solar concepts associated with rebirth, probably because its flowers opened in the morning and closed at night. Hence, it is not surprising to find that the lotus was prominently featured in ancient Egyptian funerary art, particularly in banqueting scenes honouring the deceased, and in bouquets that adorned the coffin and bier of the deceased. It is also believed that the flower petals were used to make perfume, and that the ancient Egyptians took advantage of the lotus's narcotic properties. The extracted essence was added to wine to enhance its pleasurable effects, as depicted in banqueting scenes with intoxicated guests.
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 Bronze Statue of a Kneeling Priest
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Estimate: £300 - 400 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £150
Kneeling on a rectangular platform with a wide apron covering his thighs, clean-shaven head and hands raised in adoration; tang on the underside for attachment; mounted on a display stand. 41 grams total, statue: 30 mm high
From an early 20th century Home Counties, UK, collection.
Priest figurines like this were commonly placed before a larger deity figurine, both attached to a base, e.g., Schulz, R., Seidel, M., Egyptian Art. The Walters Art Museum, London, 2009, for a kneeling priest before a standing figure of Anubis. -
Egyptian Hardstone Scarab in Gold Bracelet
Late Period, 664-332 B.C. and laterSold for (Inc. bp): £572
Scarab, plano-convex in section with incised carapace and leg detailing, stylised djed pillar to the underside; mounted in a 20th-century gold bracelet. 12.30 grams, 22.5 cm
From the private collection of the late Mrs Belinda Ellison, long time member of the Egyptian Exploration Society, c.1940-2020. -
Egyptian Ovoid Alabaster Jar
Early Dynastic Period, circa 3100-2900 B.C.Estimate: £1,000 - 1,400 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £389
With rounded lip, and oval body slightly tapering to a flat base. 517 grams, 11.5 cm high
Mary Stout Shaw (1880-1962); thence by direct descent to the present owner. Accompanied by a copy of a 1976 family photo featuring some of the collection on display.
Mary Kilgour Stone was born in 1880 in Cincinnati, Ohio. On 25 November 1903, she married Percy Wyfold Stout from Gloucester (DSO, OBE, 1875-1937), who had moved to Cairo after an international rugby career. After fighting in the First World War, Percy became the Director of the Egyptian Delta Land Company and the Anglo-American Nile Tourist Company. He and Mary were friends with the famous Major Gayer-Anderson, who worked as a doctor on the company’s cruise boats between 1930 and 1939. Gayer-Anderson tells in his memoir how this allowed him to make frequent trips to Upper Egypt and fulfil his passion for collecting (and dealing in) ancient Egyptian art. In his company, Mary became an enthusiast about all things Egypt and formed an elegant collection of ancient Egyptian alabaster vessels, including the following lots. She was particularly fascinated with the ancient cat goddess Bastet. Therefore, when Gayer-Anderson decided to give his famous ancient bronze cat to the British Museum in 1939, he made sure the donation was in both his name and Mary Stout Shaw’s, as a tribute to their friendship.
