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LOT 0547
Egyptian Blue Glazed Faience Shabti
PTOLEMAIC PERIOD, CIRCA 305-30 B.C.
4 7/8 in. (72 grams, 12.5 cm).
Characteristic mummiform figure wearing a tripartite wig and a false beard, with a seed-bag suspended over the shoulder, a plain dorsal column, and with arms crossed and hands holding agricultural tools.
ProvenanceFrom the collection of a late Tavistock, Devon, UK, gentleman, formed from the 1990s.
Accompanied by an old handwritten date note on British Museum, Department of Egyptian Antiquities headed paper, where the second part relates to this item.
Cf. Lacovara, P., and Markowitz, Y.J., Jewels of the Nile: Ancient Egyptian Treasures from the Worcester Art Museum, Worcester MA, 2020, p. 183 (no. 1925.563), for a shabti of virtually identical form.
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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Coptic Marble Liturgical Vessel Fragment with Inscription
6th century A.D.Estimate: £1,500 - 2,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £833
Tongue-shaped with low rounded pad on the underside, raised edge with low-relief decoration of grape vines and leaves, the edge with pairs of opposing doves eating grapes; dedicatory Demotic inscription on the underside. 87 grams, 55 mm
Acquired in the mid 1980s-1990s. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D'Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12575-232108.
These vessels were used as liturgical objects for church offerings or ritual, and were extensively employed from late antiquity in ecclesiastical contexts. -
Large Egyptian Lapis Lazuli Heart Scarab
New Kingdom, 1550-1070 B.C.Estimate: £2,500 - 3,500 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,000
Naturalistically modelled head, thorax, and abdomen, with elytra outlined by incised lines; front, middle, and hind legs visible at the sides and merging into an oval base plinth. 31 grams, 39 mm
Ex early 20th century collection, London, UK. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13102-249410.
The scarab amulet was one of ancient Egypt’s most widespread symbols, signifying rebirth, transformation, and protection. Modelled on the dung beetle associated with the sun god Khepri—believed to roll the sun across the sky—it symbolised the cycle of life and renewal. Widely used from the early Middle Kingdom onwards, scarabs served as funerary amulets, personal charms, and seals, often inscribed with prayers or names. They reflect both spiritual beliefs and daily life in ancient Egypt. -
Egyptian Bronze Seated Isis with Horus Statue
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £468
Modelled enthroned, wearing a cow's horn headdress with a solar disc; suckling the infant Horus seated transversely on her lap; Horus modelled with a side-lock of youth; mounted on a custom-made wooden stand. 405 grams total, 17.5 cm including stand
Property of a deceased gentleman's collection, 1980s. Ex John Nicholson Auction, Haslemere, Surrey, UK.
