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LOT 0476
Egyptian Bronze Figure of Isis and Horus
LATE PERIOD, 664-332 B.C.
2 5/8 in. (73.4 grams, 68 mm).
Isis enthroned wearing a cow's horn headdress with a solar disc fronted by uraeus, suckling the infant Horus on her lap; Horus with a side-lock of youth.
ProvenanceAcquired in the mid 1980s-1990s.
Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent.
Private collection, since the late 1990s.
Cf. Tiribilli, E., The bronze figurines of the Petrie Museum from 2000 BC to AD 400, GHP Egyptology 28, London, 2018, p. 242, no. 349 (UC 8064), for a similar (complete) statuette.
FootnotesIn ancient Egyptian mythology, Isis was the sister-wife of Osiris and the mother of the sky god Horus. She is associated with aspects of fertility and motherhood and is often depicted in various artworks seated in a nursing pose with her son Horus on her lap, as here.
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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Large Egyptian Quadruple Eye of Horus Amulet
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £234
Plaque with transverse piercing; four addorsed wedjat motifs with black detailing. 31.6 grams, 64 mm
Ex J Bird private collection. Ex Cambridgeshire, UK, collection. -
Egypto-Phoenician Faience Amulet Group
4th-2nd century B.C. and laterSold for (Inc. bp): £234
Comprising flat discs with perforations and a trussed duck with its head laid along its spine. 18.74 grams total, 15-30 mm
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s. -
Phoenician Glass Bead Collection
6th-3rd century B.C. or laterSold for (Inc. bp): £910
Comprising a group of crumb-decorated polychrome oblate beads and a centrepiece pendant formed as a stylised bearded head. 179 grams total, 12-42 mm
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s.
The Phoenicians, renowned seafarers and traders, were also skilled glassworkers. They produced a wide variety of glass beads using core-forming and winding techniques, with vivid colours and elaborate designs that reflect both technical mastery and cross-cultural influence. Among the most iconic Phoenician beads are glass 'head' beads, crafted in the form of stylised human or mythological faces. Typically, they feature exaggerated facial details like bulging eyes, large noses, beards, and headdresses, often with expressive or comic features. They were possibly worn as amulets to ward off evil or attract protection, though they may also represent deities, ancestors, or foreigners. These beads often incorporate Egyptian, Greek, and Near Eastern stylistic elements, reflecting the Phoenicians’ extensive trade networks.
